He said: And from a speech of his (AS) concerning the Khawarij, when he heard their saying, 'There is no judgement save God's', he said: A word of truth by which falsehood is intended. Yes, there is no judgement save God's; but these people are saying: there is to be no rule at all. Yet people must have a commander, be he righteous or wicked, under whose rule the believer works and the disbeliever takes his enjoyment, through whom God brings the appointed term to its end, by whom the fay' is gathered, by whom the enemy is fought, by whom the roads are made safe, and by whom the right of the weak is taken from the strong — until the righteous find rest, or rest is had from the wicked. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 1, p. 160)
When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) heard the Khawarij saying, 'Judgement belongs to God alone', he said: It is a true statement, but their understanding of it is wrong. Yes, judgement belongs to God alone; yet these people say: there must be no government at all! Whereas people stand in need of a ruler, whether he be righteous or wicked. The believer lives under the shelter of government, and the disbeliever too benefits from government, and by means of government God brings certain affairs to completion. It is through government that funds are gathered for matters of public benefit; it is through government that the land is defended against the enemy and the roads become safe; and it is by means of government that the right of the weak is taken from the strong, so that good people may find peace and the evil of bad people may be repelled.
From al-Muthanna, from Muhammad ibn Muslim, who said: I asked al-Sadiq Ja'far ibn Muhammad (AS) about the ring of al-Husayn ibn Ali (AS) — to whom did it pass? And I mentioned to him that I had heard it was taken from his finger among the things that were seized. He (AS) said: It is not as they have said. Al-Husayn (AS) made his bequest to his son Ali ibn al-Husayn (AS), placed his ring upon his finger, and committed his affair to him, just as the Messenger of God (PBUH) did with the Commander of the Faithful (AS), and as the Commander of the Faithful did with al-Hasan, and as al-Hasan did with al-Husayn (peace be upon them both). Then that ring passed to my father (AS), and from him it came to me; it is with me, and I wear it every Friday and pray with it. [The hadith continues.] (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 2, p. 102)
The narrator said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq (AS) about the ring of Imam al-Husayn (AS), to whom it had passed, and I said to him: I have heard that it was taken along with the other belongings at Karbala. He said: No; Imam al-Husayn (AS) bequeathed it to his son, Imam al-Sajjad (AS), placed the ring upon his finger and entrusted his affair to him, just as the Messenger of God (PBUH) did with the Commander of the Faithful (AS), and the Commander of the Faithful (AS) with Imam al-Hasan (AS), and he in turn with Imam al-Husayn (AS). Then that ring passed to my father, and from him it came to me, and it is now with me. And every Friday I put it on my hand and pray with it.
From al-Hasan ibn al-Jahm, who said: I said to al-Rida (AS): The Commander of the Faithful (AS) knew his killer, and the night on which he would be killed, and the place in which he would be killed; and there is his saying, when he heard the cries of the geese in the house: 'Criers, followed by wailing women'; and Umm Kulthum's words: 'Would that you prayed this night inside the house and ordered another to lead the people in prayer' — yet he refused her, and that night he went in and out repeatedly without a weapon, knowing full well that Ibn Muljam was to kill him with the sword. Was this not something to which it is not permitted to expose oneself? He said: That was so; but on that night he was given the choice, so that the decrees of God, the Mighty and Majestic, might be fulfilled. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 430)
The narrator said: I said to Imam al-Rida (AS): It appears that the Commander of the Faithful (AS) knew his own killer, and knew the night on which he would be killed and the place in which he would be killed, that is, struck down. On that very night, when he heard the crying of the geese in the house, he said: They are criers, and wailing women follow after them. And Umm Kulthum said: Would that you prayed at home tonight and ordered another to lead the people in prayer in the mosque in your place. But he did not accept, and on that night he went out of the house and returned many times without a weapon, while knowing that Ibn Muljam would kill him with the sword. How can such a thing be permissible? Would it not have been better not to yield to destiny? The Imam (AS) said: All of this is true; but he himself chose that on that night God's decrees should take their course.
From Ali ibn Asbat, from Sallam ibn Abdillah al-Hashimi — Muhammad ibn Ali said: and I heard it from him — from Abu Abdillah (AS), who said: Talha and al-Zubayr sent a man of Abd al-Qays called Khidash to the Commander of the Faithful (AS), and said to him: We are sending you to a man whom, together with his household, we have long known for sorcery and soothsaying — up to where he said: So eat no food of his, drink no drink of his, touch neither washing-water nor oil of his, and do not be alone with him; beware of all this from him. And when you see him, recite the Verse of Subjection (ayat al-sukhra) and take refuge in God from his guile. And he mentioned the message. Then he said: When Khidash came to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) he did what the two had ordered him. When Ali (AS) looked at him and saw him muttering to himself, he laughed and said: Over here, O brother of Abd Qays — and he pointed him to a place near himself. He said: The place is wide enough; I wish to deliver a message to you. He said: Rather, you shall eat and drink, take off your garments and anoint yourself, and then deliver your message. Rise, O Qanbar, and lodge him. He said: I have no need of any of the things you have mentioned. He said: Then let me speak with you in private. He said: Every secret of mine is public. He said: Then I adjure you by God, who is nearer to you than your own self, who comes between you and your heart, who knows the treachery of the eyes and what the breasts conceal: did al-Zubayr instruct you beforehand in what I have put to you? He said: By God, yes. He said: Had you concealed it after I asked you, your glance would not have returned to you before punishment overtook you. So I adjure you by God: did he teach you words to say when you met me? He said: By God, yes. Ali (AS) said: The Verse of Subjection? He said: Yes. He said: Then recite it. And Ali (AS) kept going over it with him, repeating it again and again and correcting him whenever he erred, until he had recited it seventy times. The man said: What does the Commander of the Faithful intend by ordering it to be repeated seventy times? He said to him: Do you find your heart at rest? He said: Yes, by Him in whose hand is my soul. He said: What did the two say to you? So he informed him. He said: Say to them — and he mentioned the reply to the message — up to where he said: O God, strike down al-Zubayr with the worst of deaths and spill his blood upon misguidance; make Talha know abasement; and store up for them both in the Hereafter something worse than that, if they have wronged me, slandered me, concealed their testimony, and disobeyed You and Your Messenger concerning me. Say: Amen. Khidash said: Amen — up to where he said: I disavow them both before God. Ali (AS) said: Return to them and inform them of what I have said. He said: No, by God, not until you ask God to return me to you soon and to grant me success in what pleases Him regarding you. So he did; and it was not long before he came back, and he was killed alongside him on the Day of the Camel. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 431)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: Talha and al-Zubayr sent a man of the tribe of Abd al-Qays named Khidash to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and said to him: We are sending you to a man whom, together with his household, we have long known for sorcery and soothsaying. So never eat of his food; drink none of his drink; do not use his water for washing; do not anoint yourself with his oil; do not be alone with him; and beware of his cunning and trickery. And when you see him, recite the Verse of Subjection (verse 54 of Surat al-A'raf) and take refuge in God from his guile. When Khidash came to the Commander of the Faithful (AS), he did just as he had been instructed. When Ali (AS) saw him constantly murmuring something under his breath, he laughed and said: O brother of Abd al-Qays, come here! And he gestured to him to sit close to him. Khidash refused and said: Here is well enough! I have come to deliver a message to you. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: First eat food, drink water, change your clothes and anoint yourself with oil, and then deliver your message! And he signalled to Qanbar to receive him as a guest. But Khidash said: I have no need of any of these things. The Imam (AS) said: Do you wish to speak with me in private? Khidash said: Every secret I have is open. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: I adjure you by God — by the God who is nearer to you than you are to yourself, the God who comes between you and your heart, the God who knows the treachery of the eyes and what is hidden in the breasts: has al-Zubayr instructed you not to eat my food and not to sit with me? Khidash said: Yes. The Imam (AS) said: Had you concealed the truth, I would have punished you! Now tell me: did he tell you what to say when you saw me? Khidash said: Yes. The Imam (AS) said: Is it the Verse of Subjection? Khidash said: Yes. The Imam (AS) said to him: Recite it! And the Imam (AS) himself kept repeating it with him, correcting him whenever Khidash recited wrongly, until Khidash had recited that verse seventy times. Khidash said: O Commander of the Faithful, why did you make me repeat this verse seventy times? The Imam (AS) said: Khidash, do you not feel something in your heart? Khidash said: By God, I feel a great tranquillity in my heart. Then the Imam (AS) asked him: Now tell me what they said to you. Khidash recounted everything. Then the Imam (AS) said: Tell them... and he stated for him the reply to the message. Then the Imam (AS) prayed: O God, destroy al-Zubayr in the worst manner, spill his blood upon misguidance, afflict Talha with abasement, and appoint for them in the Hereafter a punishment worse than this, if they have wronged me, slandered me, concealed their testimony, and disobeyed You and Your Prophet concerning me. Say: Amen! Khidash said: Amen! Then Khidash said: I disavow these two (Talha and al-Zubayr). The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Now go back to them and convey to them what I have said. Khidash said: No, by God! Not until you ask God to bring me back to you and to grant me success in the way of His pleasure concerning you. The Imam (AS) prayed for him, and Khidash returned to Talha and al-Zubayr. But some time later he was with the Commander of the Faithful (AS) at the Battle of the Camel and was martyred.
(We say: The Verse of Subjection is this verse: 'Indeed your Lord is God, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself upon the Throne. He covers the night with the day, which pursues it swiftly; and the sun, the moon and the stars are made subservient by His command. Verily His is the creation and the command. Blessed is God, Lord of the worlds.' [Qur'an 7:54] And how beautifully our teacher, the late Allama Hasanzadeh Amoli, drew from this narration the conclusion that reciting this verse seventy times dispels intrusive thoughts, removes whisperings, calms the mind, purifies the heart, brings tranquillity to the soul, increases faith, and produces certainty. The late Majlisi too, in his commentary on this hadith, perceived this point and drew attention to it. Shaykh Baha'i, Haji Sabzavari and Muhaqqiq al-Karaki hold the two following verses also to be part of the Verse of Subjection, which does not appear to be correct.)
From Ali ibn Muhammad, from one of our companions whose name he mentioned, who said: Muhammad ibn Ibrahim narrated to us, saying: Musa ibn Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Alawi informed us, saying: Ja'far ibn Zayd ibn Musa narrated to me, from his father, from his forefathers, from the Prophet (PBUH) in a hadith: that a woman called Umm Aslam asked him about his legatee. So he reached out his hand to a pebble on the ground, rubbed it between his fingers until he made it like flour, then kneaded it, then stamped it with his ring, and then said: Whoever does the like of this deed of mine, he is my legatee in my lifetime and after my death. She said: So I went out from his presence and came to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and said: May my father and mother be your ransom, are you the legatee of the Messenger of God (PBUH)? He said: Yes, O Umm Aslam. Then he reached out his hand to a pebble and rubbed it until he made it like flour, then kneaded it and sealed it with his ring, then said: O Umm Aslam, whoever does this deed of mine, he is my legatee. Then I came to al-Hasan (AS), who was still a boy, and said: My master, are you your father's legatee? He said: Yes, O Umm Aslam — and he stretched out his hand, took a pebble, and did with it as the two of them had done. I left him and came to al-Husayn (AS), whose age I thought too tender, and said to him: May my father and mother be your ransom, are you the legatee of your brother? He said: Yes, O Umm Aslam; bring me a pebble — then he did as they had done. And Umm Aslam lived on until she reached the time of Ali ibn al-Husayn (AS), and she asked him: Are you your father's legatee? He said: Yes — then he did as they had done. May the blessings of God be upon them all. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 434)
A woman named Umm Aslam asked the Prophet (PBUH) about his legatee. The Prophet (PBUH) picked up a pebble from the ground, rubbed it between his fingers, and the pebble turned into flour! Then he kneaded it and set his ring upon it as a seal. Then he said: Whoever is able to do the like of this deed of mine, he is my legatee. Umm Aslam said: When I went to the Commander of the Faithful (AS), I said to him: Are you the legatee of the Messenger of God (PBUH)? He said: Yes. Then, without saying anything further, like the Prophet (PBUH) he picked up a pebble, turned the pebble into flour, then kneaded it and set his ring upon it as a seal. And he said: O Umm Aslam, after me too my legatee is the one who can do such a thing. The narrator said: Umm Aslam lived a long life and was alive until the time of Imam al-Sajjad (AS), and she witnessed and related this miraculous sign in turn from Imam al-Mujtaba, then from the Master of the Martyrs, and then from Imam al-Sajjad. May the blessings and greetings of God be upon them all.
From Abd al-Rahman ibn Abdillah al-Khuza'i, from Nasr ibn Muzahim, from Amr ibn Shimr, from Jabir, from Abu Ja'far (AS), who said: When the daughter of Yazdgird was brought before Umar, the maidens of Medina looked out upon her, and the mosque was lit up with her radiance when she entered it — up to where he said: The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to him: Let her choose a man from among the Muslims, and reckon her as part of his share of the fay'. So she came forward and placed her hand upon the head of al-Husayn (AS). The Commander of the Faithful said to her: What is your name? She said: Jahanshah. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to her: Rather, Shahrbanuya. Then he said to al-Husayn (AS): O Abu Abdillah, she shall surely bear you the best of the people of the earth. And she bore Ali ibn al-Husayn (AS), who was called 'the son of the two chosen ones'; for God's chosen among the Arabs is Hashim, and among the non-Arabs, Persia. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 436)
Imam al-Baqir (AS) relates: When the daughter of Yazdgird (the last Sasanian king) was brought to Medina, the maidens of the city gathered to see her, and when she entered the mosque the radiance of her beauty lit up the mosque. Ali (AS) said to Umar: Leave her free to choose a husband from among the Muslims, and reckon her as that man's share. The girl came forward and placed her hand upon the head of Imam al-Husayn (AS). The Commander of the Faithful (AS) asked her: What is your name? She answered: Jahanshah. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: No; your name is Shahrbanu. Then he said to Imam al-Husayn (AS): From this woman a child will be born to you who will be the best upon the face of the earth. So Shahrbanu gave birth to Imam Zayn al-Abidin (AS), and he was given the title 'Ibn al-Khiyaratayn' (the son of the two chosen ones).
By his chain of transmission, from al-Nu'man ibn Sa'd, from the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), that he said: A man of my descendants will be killed unjustly with poison in the land of Khurasan. His name is my name, and his father's name is the name of the son of Imran, Moses (AS). Behold, whoever visits him in his exile, God will forgive him his sins. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 438)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: A man of my descendants will be killed unjustly with poison in the land of Khurasan. His name is my name, and his father's name is the name of the son of Imran, Moses (AS). Whoever visits his shrine, God will forgive him his sins.
(We say: The text of the narration alludes to the exile (ghurba) of Imam al-Rida (AS). This exile continued for centuries, but in recent ages, with Tus becoming one of the centres of Shiism through the endeavours of the Iranians, it seems to have been dispelled.)
From Yunus, from Abu Bakr al-Hadrami, who said: I heard Abu Abdillah (AS) say: The conduct of Ali (AS) on the day of Basra was better for his Shia than anything upon which the sun has risen. For he knew that those people would one day hold power; had he taken their families captive, his own Shia would have been taken captive. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 439)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: The conduct and comportment of Ali (AS) toward his enemies after the Battle of the Camel was to the benefit of his Shia. For he knew that power would soon pass to his enemies, and so, had he taken them captive, his own Shia would in turn have been taken captive.
And by these same chains, from Ali (AS), that he said: It is as though I see the palaces raised up around the grave of al-Husayn ibn Ali, and as though I see the litters going out from Kufa to the grave of al-Husayn (AS). (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 440)
Among the reports of the unseen given by the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was his saying: It is as though I see great buildings raised up around the grave of my son al-Husayn, and I see caravans setting out from Kufa to go and visit his grave.
Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Sayyar, from their two fathers, from al-Hasan ibn Ali al-Askari (AS) in a hadith: that Ali (AS) said to the Jews while arguing against them: We have a proof which is a dazzling miracle. Then he called out to the camels of the Jews: O camels, bear witness for Muhammad and for his legatee! And the camels hastened to say: You have spoken truly, you have spoken truly, O legatee of Muhammad, and these Jews have lied. Then Ali (AS) said: These are one kind of witness. O garments of the Jews that are upon them, bear witness for Muhammad and for his legatee! And all their garments spoke: You have spoken truly, O Ali; we bear witness that Muhammad is truly the Messenger of God, and that you, O Ali, are truly his legatee. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 440)
Among the miracles of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was that, when a company of Jews demanded of him a sign and a miracle, he addressed their camels and said: O camels, bear witness! And they spoke, testifying to the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) and to his own succession to him. Then he addressed the garments the Jews were wearing and demanded their testimony. And by God's power the garments too spoke and said: You have spoken truly, O Ali! We bear witness that Muhammad (PBUH) is truly the Messenger of God, and that you, O Ali, are truly his legatee.
From Tamim ibn Buhlul, from Ali ibn Asim, from al-Husayn ibn Abd al-Rahman, from Mujahid, from Ibn Abbas, who said: I was with the Commander of the Faithful (AS) on his march out to Siffin. When he halted at Nineveh, which is on the bank of the Euphrates, he said in a loud voice: O Ibn Abbas, do you know this place? I said to him: I do not know it, O Commander of the Faithful. He said: Had you known it as I know it, you would not have passed it without weeping as I weep. He said: Then he wept for a long while, until his beard was drenched with tears, and we wept with him, while he was saying: Ah, ah! What have I to do with Abu Sufyan? What have I to do with the house of Harb, the party of Satan and the friends of unbelief? Be patient, O Abu Abdillah, for your father has met from them the like of what you shall meet — up to where he said: This is the land of affliction and trial; here al-Husayn will be buried, and nineteen men with him, all of them of my offspring and the offspring of Fatima. And he mentioned the hadith, in which he sought out the droppings of gazelles and found them; and he took the droppings and tied them up in his cloak, and ordered me to tie some up likewise. Then he said: O Ibn Abbas, when you see them gush with fresh blood, know that Abu Abdillah (AS) has been killed and buried there. [The hadith continues], and in it: when al-Husayn (AS) was killed, blood flowed from them on that very day; and that Ibn Abbas said: Ali never told me a falsehood in anything he related to me, nor did he ever inform me that something would come to pass but that it came to pass just so. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 443)
Ibn Abbas said: I was with the Commander of the Faithful (AS) on the journey to Siffin. When we halted at Nineveh, he said: O Ibn Abbas, do you know this place? I said: No. He said: Had you known it as I know it, you would not have passed it without weeping as I weep. Then he wept so much that his beard was soaked with tears, while he was saying: Alas! Alas! What have I to do with Abu Sufyan and the house of Harb, who are the party of Satan and the friends of unbelief? Be patient, O Abu Abdillah! Your father too saw from them the like of what you will see. Then he said: This is the land of suffering and affliction, the place where al-Husayn and nineteen of the children of me and Fatima will be buried. Then he picked up some gazelle droppings from the ground and placed them in his cloak, and ordered me to take some droppings and keep them. He said: O Ibn Abbas, when you see fresh blood flowing from these droppings, know that al-Husayn (AS) has been killed and buried in this place. Ibn Abbas said: When Imam al-Husayn (AS) was martyred, on that very day blood flowed from those droppings. Indeed, Ali (AS) never gave me any report of the future but that it came to pass exactly, without the least discrepancy.
It is narrated therein in a hadith: that a man said to the Commander of the Faithful (AS): My right eye has gone. He said: God will restore it to you. Then he passed his noble hand over it and said: 'He will give it life who brought it into being the first time.' [Qur'an 36:79] And it returned by God's leave, and the people witnessed it. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 446)
Among the miracles of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was that, when one of his companions complained to him that his right eye had gone blind, he said: God will restore it to you. Then he placed his hand upon the man's eye and recited: 'He will give it life who brought it into being the first time.' [Qur'an 36:79] And the man regained his sight.
From al-Asbagh ibn Nubata, from Ali (AS): that he came in upon him after Ibn Muljam had struck him, and said: O Commander of the Faithful, I wished to look upon you and to hear a hadith from you. He said: Sit down; though I do not think you will hear any hadith from me after this day of yours. Then he related two hadiths to him. Al-Asbagh said: I heard nothing from my master, the Commander of the Faithful, apart from these two hadiths; then he remained two days and passed away. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 447)
Al-Asbagh ibn Nubata said: After Ibn Muljam struck the Commander of the Faithful (AS), I came to him and said: O Commander of the Faithful, I wished to see you and to hear a hadith from you. The Imam (AS) said: Sit down and listen! For this is the last hadith you will hear from me. Then he related two hadiths to me. Al-Asbagh says: Apart from these two hadiths I heard nothing further from my master, and two days later he was martyred.
From Ammar ibn Yasir, who said: When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) marched to Siffin, he halted at the Euphrates and said to his companions: Where is the ford? They said: We do not know where the ford is. So he said to one of his companions: Go to this mound and call out: O Juland, where is the ford? He said: So he went until he reached the mound, and said: O Juland, where is the ford? And a great many creatures answered him from beneath the earth, and he was struck dumb. He came to the Imam and said: My master, a great many answered me. He said: O Qanbar, go and call out: O Juland ibn Kizkir, where is the ford? So he went and said: O Juland ibn Kizkir, where is the ford? He said: One alone spoke to him and said to him: Who is it that knows my name and my father's name, while I am in this place, having turned to dust, with nothing remaining of me but the decayed bone of my skull, and three thousand years have passed — and he asks where the ford is? By God, he knows the ford better than I do. Go to him and follow him; wherever he fords, ford with him, for he is the noblest of creation after the Messenger of God (PBUH). So they came to him, and he showed them the ford. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 447)
Ammar ibn Yasir said: When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) set out toward Siffin, he halted beside the Euphrates and said to his companions: Where is the ford? They answered: We do not know where the ford is! His Eminence said to one of his companions: Go toward that mound and call out: O Juland, where is the ford? That man went, and when he reached the mound he called out: O Juland, where is the ford? Suddenly a great many answered him from beneath the earth, and he was stunned; he returned to the Imam and said: A great many answered me! The Imam said to Qanbar: You go and call out: O Juland ibn Kirkir, where is the ford? Qanbar went and called out. This time a single person answered and said: The one who knows my name and my father's name, while I in this place have turned to dust and nothing remains of me but a decayed bone of my skull, and three thousand years have passed during which no one knows where the ford is — by God, he knows better than I where the ford is. Go to him and follow him; wherever he enters, you enter too, for after the Messenger of God (PBUH) he is the noblest of creatures. So they came to the Imam, and he showed them the place of the ford.
From Maytham al-Tammar, from the Commander of the Faithful (AS) in a long hadith: that a bedouin came in upon him and said to him: I am an envoy to you from sixty thousand men, and they have sent with me a dead man about the cause of whose death they have fallen into dispute. If you bring him back to life, we shall know that you are truthful, and that you are the proof of God upon His earth and His vicegerent over His servants — up to where he said: Ali (AS) said: How long has this dead man of yours been dead? They said: Twenty-one days. He said: What was the cause of his death? The bedouin said: They wish you to bring him back to life for them so that he may tell them who killed him; for he passed the night in good health and was found in the morning with his throat cut from ear to ear, and fifty men are demanding vengeance for his blood, each accusing the other. Ali (AS) said: His paternal uncle killed him, because he had married his daughter to him, and then he deserted her and married another. The bedouin said: We are not content with your word alone; we want the young man himself to testify before his family as to who killed him, so that the sword and the strife may be lifted from among them. So he (AS) rose and said: The cow of the Children of Israel is not more honoured with God than Ali ibn Abi Talib, for it brought a dead man back to life after seven days. Then he drew near to the dead man and said: With a part of the cow of the Children of Israel the dead man was struck and he lived; and I shall strike him with a part of myself, and a part of me is better than the whole of that cow. Then he struck him with his right foot and said: Rise by God's leave, O Mudrik ibn Hanzala! And a young man arose more radiant than the sun and said: At your service, O proof of God! He said to him: Who killed you? He said: My paternal uncle killed me. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 447)
Maytham al-Tammar said: A bedouin came in upon the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and said: I am the envoy of sixty thousand people, and they have sent with me a dead man about the cause of whose death they are in dispute. If you bring him back to life, we shall know that you are truthful, and that you are the proof of God upon the earth and His successor over His servants. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) asked: How many days have passed since his death? They said: Twenty-one days. He asked: What was the cause of his death? The bedouin said: He was killed! They wish you to bring him back to life so that he may say who killed him; for he passed the night in good health and in the morning was found with his throat cut from ear to ear, and fifty men have risen up to demand vengeance for his blood. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: His paternal uncle killed him; for he had given him his daughter in marriage, but the man abandoned the girl and took another wife. The bedouin said: We will not be content with your word alone; we want the young man himself to bear witness, so that the swords may be lifted from among them and the strife may end. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) rose and said: The cow of the Children of Israel is not more honoured before God than Ali ibn Abi Talib. That cow brought a dead man back to life after seven days. Then he struck the body of the dead man with his right foot and said: Rise by God's leave, O Mudrik ibn Hanzala! Suddenly a young man more radiant than the sun rose up and said: At your service, O proof of God! The Imam asked: Who killed you? He answered: My paternal uncle killed me.
From Ammar ibn Yasir and Zayd ibn Arqam, from Ali (AS), in a long hadith: that a girl of Syria appeared to be pregnant although she had no husband. She was brought to Kufa with a thousand horsemen, and they recounted her story to him. He questioned her, and she said: By your right, O my master, I have never known any unchastity in myself, and I know that you know me better than I know myself. He said: Bring me the midwife of Kufa. So they brought her — her name was Lubna — and he said to her: Set a curtain between yourself and the people, and examine this young woman. She did so, and examined her, and said: She is a virgin, yet pregnant. Then he (AS) said to the girl's father and those with him: Which of you can obtain a piece of ice? They said: Ice is plentiful in our own land, but we cannot obtain it here. Ammar said: Then he stretched out his hand from the pulpit of Kufa and drew it back with a piece of ice in it. Then he said: O midwife, take this ice, take the young woman out of the mosque, and place this piece against her private parts; you will then see a leech weighing fifty-seven dirhams and two daniqs. She did so, and it was just as he (AS) had said. Then he said to her father: Take your daughter; by God, she has not committed fornication. She merely entered a place in which there was water, and this leech entered her belly and grew there. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 449)
It is related from Ammar ibn Yasir and Zayd ibn Arqam that a girl of Syria who had no husband became pregnant. She was brought to Kufa with a thousand horsemen, and the affair was recounted to the Commander of the Faithful (AS). The Imam questioned her, and the girl swore an oath: By your right, O my master, I have never known any faithlessness in myself, and I know that you are more aware of me than I am of myself. The Imam said: On the outskirts of Kufa there is a woman named Lubna who is a midwife; bring her. They brought her, and the Imam said to her: Examine this woman. She did so and said: She is both a virgin and pregnant! The Imam said to the girl's father and those with him: Which of you is able to bring a piece of ice? They said: In our land ice is plentiful, but in these parts no ice is to be found. Ammar says: The Commander of the Faithful (AS), who was upon the pulpit of Kufa, stretched out his hand and then drew it back, and we saw that there was a piece of ice in it! Then he said: O midwife, take this ice, lead the young woman out of the mosque, and place this piece of ice at her private parts; then a clot will come out whose weight is fifty-seven dirhams and two daniqs. The midwife did so, and it happened just as the Imam had said. The Imam said to her father: Take your daughter; by God, she has never committed fornication. She only entered a marsh, and this clot entered her belly and grew large.
By the chain of transmission, from Ali (AS): they complained to him of the scarcity of rain, so he prayed for rain, and they were given rain at once, until they complained to him of the abundance of rain, so he supplicated for them until it departed from them. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 449)
Among the miracles of Ali (AS) that have been repeatedly related is that when rain was scarce, they would ask him for rain; he would then raise his hands in supplication and rain would come down. When the rain fell too heavily, they would again complain to him, and he would raise his hands in supplication and ask that the rain be withheld, and so it came to pass.
From al-Asbagh ibn Nubata, from the Commander of the Faithful (AS), in a hadith: that he said to Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas: In your house there is a cub who will kill my son al-Husayn — and Umar ibn Sa'd on that day was toddling in front of him. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 452)
Asbagh ibn Nubata says: I heard that Ali (AS), in the house of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, pointed to his little son Umar, who had just begun to walk, and said to Sa'd: In your house there is a cub who will one day kill my son Husayn!
From Habib ibn al-Jahm, who said: When the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib set out with us toward the land of Siffin, he halted at a village called Sandawda. Then he commanded us and we passed on beyond it, and then he had us encamp for the night in a barren, waterless land. Malik ibn al-Harith al-Ashtar rose and came to him and said: O Commander of the Faithful, do you bring the people down to rest where there is no water? He said: O Malik, God will give us to drink in this place water sweeter than honey, softer than butter, colder than snow, and clearer than ruby. We marveled — though there is no cause to marvel at the word of the Commander of the Faithful (AS). Then he came forward trailing his cloak, his sword in his hand, until he stood upon the barren ground and said: O Malik, dig, you and your companions. Malik said: So we dug, and behold, we came upon a great black rock in which was a ring gleaming like silver. He said to us: Move it. So all of us together strove to move it — and we were a hundred men — yet we could not shift it from its place. Then the Commander of the Faithful (AS) drew near, raising his hand toward heaven, supplicating and saying — and the narrator mentioned a supplication — until he said: Then he took hold of it and hurled it forty cubits away from the spring. Malik said: There appeared to us water sweeter than honey, colder than snow, and clearer than ruby. We drank and gave drink to our beasts. Then he put the rock back and ordered us to heap earth upon it. Then we journeyed on, and we had gone only a short distance when he said: Which of you knows the place of the spring? We said: All of us, O Commander of the Faithful! So we went back and sought the spring, but its place was hidden from us most utterly (the hadith). And in it: that they saw a monk and told him of this, so he came to the Commander of the Faithful, who said to him: Sham'un? The monk said: Yes, Sham'un — this is a name my father gave me, which none knew save God, and then you. How did you know it? Then it is mentioned that he embraced Islam. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 453)
The narrator says: When the Commander of the Faithful (AS) set us in motion toward Siffin, we halted at a village called Sandawda. Then he ordered us to move on from there, and we encamped in a barren land. Malik al-Ashtar came to him and said: O Commander of the Faithful! Do you bring the people down in a place without water? The Imam said: O Malik! God will give us to drink in this place water most delicious! We were astonished. The Imam, trailing his cloak and with his sword in his hand, searched about the area. Then he said: O Malik! You and your companions, dig here! We dug until we reached a great black rock which had a shining ring like silver. The Imam said: Lift it. A hundred of us strove with all our strength, but we could not move it from its place. Then the Commander of the Faithful (AS) raised his hands in supplication, and after a prayer he hurled the rock forty cubits away. Water appeared that was sweeter than honey, colder than snow, and clearer than ruby. We drank and were satisfied. Then the Imam restored the rock and ordered us to pour earth over it. When we had gone a little way, the Imam asked: Who knows the place of the spring? We said: All of us! But when we went back, we could not find the place of the spring. Then we saw a monk and brought him to the Imam. The Imam said to him: Sham'un? The monk said: Yes, I am Sham'un. This is a name my father gave me, and none knew it but God and you. How did you know my name? Then he embraced Islam.
From Ibn Shadhan, from Ibrahim ibn Ali, by his chain, from Abu Abdillah Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his forefathers (AS), in a hadith: that when the time of the birth of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) drew near, his mother Fatima bint Asad was standing beside the Sacred House of God. When the pangs of labor seized her, she called upon God, Mighty and Exalted, and said: O my Lord, I ask You by the right of this House and Him who built it, and by this child in my womb who speaks to me and comforts me with his speech — and I am certain that he is one of Your proofs and signs — that You make my delivery easy for me. He said: Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib and Yazid ibn Qa'nab said: When Fatima bint Asad spoke and made this supplication, we saw the House open at its back, and Fatima entered into it and vanished from our sight. Then the opening closed again and sealed itself by the permission of God. We tried to open the door so that some of our women might reach her, but the door would not open, and we knew that this was a matter from the command of God. When three days had passed, the House opened at the very place where she had entered, and she came out. Then it is related that she said: I gave birth within the House of God and remained there three days, eating of the fruits and provisions of Paradise. When I wished to come out with my child in my arms, a voice called out to me: O Fatima, name him Ali, for I am al-Ali al-A'la (the High, the Most High). (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 460)
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) relates from his noble forefathers: Fatima bint Asad, the mother of the Commander of the Faithful (AS), when the time of her delivery drew near, was standing beside the Ka'ba. When the pangs of childbirth came upon her, she called upon God Most High thus: O my Lord! By the right of this House and its Builder, and by the right of this child I bear in my womb, who speaks with me and whose speech is my comfort, and of whom I am certain that he is one of Your signs and proofs — make my delivery easy for me! Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib and Yazid ibn Qa'nab said: When Fatima bint Asad made this supplication, we saw the wall of the Ka'ba open from behind, and Fatima entered into it and was hidden from our eyes. Then the wall joined together again by the permission of God. We tried to open the door so that some of our women could reach her, but the door would not open, and we understood that this was a divine affair. After three days, the Ka'ba opened at the very place through which she had entered, and Fatima came out and said: I gave birth in the House of God and remained in it three days, partaking of the fruits and provisions of Paradise. When I wished to come out, with my child in my arms, a voice said to me: O Fatima! Name him Ali, for I am al-Ali al-A'la.
From Ali ibn Ali, the brother of Di'bil ibn Ali al-Khuza'i, from al-Rida, from his forefathers, from Ali (AS), that he addressed the people and said: O people, truth has indeed overcome falsehood, but before long falsehood shall overcome. Where is the most wretched among you? (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 464)
Imam al-Rida (AS) relates from his noble forefathers that one day the Commander of the Faithful (AS) addressed the people and said: O people! Truly, truth has prevailed over falsehood; but soon falsehood shall prevail over truth. Where is the most wretched among you, the one destined to shed my blood?
By a chain of transmission already mentioned there, from Alqama ibn Qays, from Ali (AS), in a hadith, that he said in his Pearly Sermon (al-Khutba al-Lu'lu'iyya): Await the Umayyad sedition and the Chosroes-like kingship, and the reviving of what God has caused to die and the killing of what God has brought to life. Until he said: And a city shall be built called al-Zawra', between the Tigris, the Dujayl, and the Euphrates. If only you could see its buildings raised high with plaster and baked brick — and he described its construction — and he said: And twenty-four kings of the sons of al-Shaysaban shall rule over it one after another. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 473)
The narrator says: I heard from the Commander of the Faithful (AS): Await the Umayyad sedition and the Chosroes-like kingship, and await the return of practices that God has caused to die and the killing off of what God has brought to life. Until he said: And a city will be built that will be called al-Zawra', between the Tigris, the Dujayl, and the Euphrates. If you were to see its structure raised firm with plaster and baked brick... And then he said: Twenty-four kings of the sons of Shaysaban will rule over it one after another.
He said: And from a speech of his (AS) when the Kharijites had been killed and it was said to him: O Commander of the Faithful, the people have perished to the last man. He said: By no means, by God! They are but drops of seed in the loins of men and the wombs of women. Whenever a horn of them rises up, it is cut off, until the last of them shall be thieves and plunderers. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 474)
When the Kharijites had been killed and it was said to him: O Commander of the Faithful! That whole people has perished, he said: No, by God! They are like drops of seed in the loins of men and the wombs of women. Whenever a band of them raises its head, it will be destroyed, until the last of them shall be plundering thieves.
He said: And from a speech of his (AS): Truly, by God, these people shall prevail over you — not because they have a better right to the truth than you, but because of their swiftness toward the falsehood of their leader and your sluggishness toward the truth of your own leader. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 475)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Be aware! By God, this people shall triumph over you — not because they are more deserving of the truth than you, but because of their haste in accepting the falsehood of their leader and your slackness in supporting the truth of your Imam.
And from a speech of his (AS), likewise addressed to the Kharijites — and he related a discourse of which this is part: Two classes of men shall perish concerning me: the excessive lover whose love carries him to what is not the truth, and the excessive hater whose hatred carries him to what is not the truth. And the best of people in their condition regarding me are those of the middle way. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 476)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Two groups shall perish concerning me: the extremist friend whose love drags him into falsehood, and the extremist enemy whose rancor carries him into falsehood. And the best of people in regard to me are those of the moderate, middle way.
Among them: what is related from Salman al-Farisi, may God be pleased with him, who said: One night Ali (AS) summoned me and said: Go to Umar, for wealth has been brought to him from the direction of the East of which no one has learned, and he has resolved to withhold it. Say to him: Ali says to you: Bring out what has been brought to you from the East and distribute it among those to whom it belongs, and do not withhold it, lest it disgrace you. Salman said: So I went to him and delivered the message, and he said: Tell me about your master — how did he come to know of it? (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 489)
Salman al-Farisi says: One night Ali (AS) summoned me and said: Go to Umar! For wealth has been brought to him from the East of which no one is aware, and he has decided to conceal it. Say to him: Ali says to you, bring out what has been brought to you from the East and divide it among those who have a right to it, and do not withhold it, for it will become a cause of your disgrace. Salman says: I went to Umar and delivered the message. Umar said: Inform me about your master — how did he come to know of this matter?
From Jabir ibn Yazid al-Ju'fi, from al-Baqir (AS), who said: Umar sent a man to a district of Syria, and he conquered it. Its people embraced Islam, so he built them a mosque, but it collapsed. Then he built it again, and it collapsed; then he built it again, and it collapsed. So he wrote to Umar about this. When Umar read the letter, he asked the companions of Muhammad (PBUH): Have you any knowledge concerning this? They said: No. So he sent for Ali ibn Abi Talib, the blessings of God be upon him, who said: This is a prophet whose people denied him and killed him, and they buried him in this mosque while he was weltering in his own blood. Write to your man that he should dig him up, for he will find him fresh; then let him pray over him and bury him in such and such a place, and then let him build the mosque, for it will then stand firm. He did that, and then built the mosque, and it stood firm. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 495)
Imam al-Baqir (AS) relates: Umar sent a man to a place in Syria, and he conquered it. The people there embraced Islam. The man built them a mosque, but the mosque collapsed. He built it again, and again it collapsed. He built it a third time, and again it fell in ruins. So he wrote a letter to Umar. When Umar read the letter, he asked the companions of the Prophet (PBUH): Do you have any knowledge about this? They said: No. Then he sent to Ali (AS). His Eminence said: This place is the grave of a prophet whose people denied him and killed him, and they buried him in this very spot of the mosque while he was weltering in his own blood. Write to your man that he should open the grave; he will find him fresh. Let him pray over him and bury him in another place. Then let him build the mosque, and this time it will remain standing. They did so, and they built the mosque, and it stood firm.
He said: And of that: a man of the Kharijites passed by the Commander of the Faithful (AS) carrying two eels which he had covered with his garment. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to him: For how much did you buy your two parents from among the Children of Israel? The man said: How much you claim to know the unseen! The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to him: Bring them out. So he brought them out, and the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Who are you two? One of them said: I am his father, and the other said: I am his mother. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 498)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) did not permit the buying and selling of eels and counted them among the metamorphosed creatures (musukh). One day a man of the Kharijites passed by the Commander of the Faithful (AS) while he had bought two eels from the market and hidden them under his clothing. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to him: For how much did you buy your Israelite father and mother? The man said: You claim too much knowledge of the unseen! The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to him: Bring them out! He brought them out. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) asked: Who are you? One of them said: I am his father, who was metamorphosed; and the other said: And I am his mother.
And of that: on the day of the Nahrawan, the spies of the Kharijites came and informed them that the army of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) numbered four thousand horsemen. So they said: Do not shoot at them with arrows, and do not strike them with the sword, but rather let each one of you go against his opponent with his spear and kill him. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) came to know of this through the unseen and said to his companions: Do not thrust at them with spears and do not shoot at them, but draw your swords; and when each of you comes upon his adversary, let him cut off his spear and walk up to him and kill him. Then not ten of you shall be killed, and not ten of them shall escape. And it was as he said. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 498)
Among the miracles of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) it is related that on the day of Nahrawan the spies of the Kharijites came and informed them that the army of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) numbered four thousand horsemen. They said: Let us leave aside bow and arrow and sword, and let us all take up spears, so that we may overcome the horsemen. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) came to know of this matter through the unseen and said to his companions: Leave aside spear and bow, and draw your swords from their scabbards; and when each of you reaches his enemy, let him cut off his spear, advance upon him, and kill him. In this way, not ten of you will be killed, and not ten of them will escape. And it came to pass just as he had said.
And among his marvels: what Ibn Abbas related, that a man came to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and asked for his hospitality. So he called for a round loaf of dry bread and a bowl of water. Then he broke off a piece and cast it into the water and said to the man: Take it. He drew it out, and behold, it was the roasted thigh of a bird. Then he cast in another for him and said: Take it — and behold, it was a piece of sweetmeat. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 498)
Ibn Abbas relates: A man came to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and asked him for hospitality. So the Commander of the Faithful (AS) called for dry bread and a vessel full of water. Then he broke off a piece of the bread and cast it into the water and said to the man: Take it up! When the man took it up, he saw that it was the roasted thigh of a bird. Then he cast another piece into the water and said: Take it up! When the man took it up, he saw that it was a piece of sweetmeat.
From Ali (AS): that Ammar complained to him of a debt he owed, so he handed him a stone, and it turned into gold. With it he paid off his debt, then returned it to him, and it became a stone again as it had been. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 499)
It is related that Ammar complained to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) of his debt. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) gave him a stone, which turned into gold. With it he paid his debt, and then he returned it to him, and it turned back into a stone.
Muhammad ibn Zakariyya related, from Ubaydullah ibn Muhammad, from Ibn A'isha, from Abdullah ibn Hazim, who said: We went out from Kufa with al-Rashid to hunt, and we came to the region of al-Ghariyyayn and al-Thuwayya. We saw gazelles and loosed the falcons and hounds upon them. They pursued them for a while; then the gazelles took refuge on a hillock and stood still. The falcons alighted to one side of it and the hounds turned back. Al-Rashid was amazed at this. Then the gazelles came down from the hillock, and the hounds and the falcons swooped upon them; but the gazelles returned to the hillock and the hounds and falcons withdrew from them. They did this three times. So Harun said: Ride out, and whomever you see, bring him to me. We brought him an old man of the Banu Asad, and Harun said to him: Tell me, what is this hillock? He said: If you grant me safe conduct, I will tell you. He said: You have God's covenant and pledge that I will not harass you or harm you. He said: My father told me, from his forefathers, that they used to say: In this hillock is the grave of Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS). God has made it a sanctuary, so that nothing takes refuge in it but is safe. So Harun dismounted, called for water, performed the ablution, prayed beside the hillock, rolled himself upon it, and began to weep. Then we departed. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 508)
The narrator says: We went out from Kufa with Harun al-Rashid to hunt. We came to the region of al-Ghariyyayn and al-Thuwayya and saw a herd of gazelles. We loosed the falcons and hunting hounds upon them. For a while they ran after them, until the gazelles took refuge on a hillock and stood still. The falcons came down on one side, and the hounds turned back. Harun was greatly astonished at this. Then the gazelles came down from the hillock, and the hounds and falcons went after them. But the gazelles returned again to the hillock, and the hounds and falcons drew back. This happened three times. Harun said: Go and bring to me whomever you find. We brought him an old man of the Banu Asad. He asked: What is this hillock? The old man said: If you grant me safe conduct, I will tell you. Harun said: I give you the covenant and pledge of God that I will not harm you. The old man said: My father related from his forefathers that they used to say that in this hillock lies the grave of Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), which God has made a sanctuary, so that every creature that takes refuge in it is safe. Harun dismounted from his steed, performed the ablution, and prayed beside the hillock. Then he began to weep upon the hillock.
Al-Shaykh al-Mufid said: And among the signs of God in him — that is, in Ali (AS) — is that no seasoned warrior is mentioned who met an enemy in battle without being victorious over him at one time and not victorious at another; nor did any of them inflict wounds upon his adversary without the adversary at times succumbing to them and at times recovering from them. Nor is any man known of whom no champion escaped in battle, and from whose blow no one survived and recovered — save the Commander of the Faithful (AS). For there is no doubt about his triumph over every champion who challenged him and his destruction of every hero who came out against him. This is among the things in which he stood alone among all mankind, and by which God broke the ordinary course of nature at every moment and in every age. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 508)
Shaykh al-Mufid says: Among the signs of God in Ali (AS) is this: no warrior has ever been mentioned who faced an enemy in battle without sometimes prevailing over him and sometimes being defeated; and no fighter ever inflicted a wound upon his enemy without the enemy suffering from it for a time and then in some cases recovering. But as for Ali (AS), it has never been heard that he was overcome by anyone in any battle, and no one whom he struck ever recovered. That is, there is no doubt about his victory over everyone who faced him and the destruction of every champion who fought him; and this is among the matters that set him apart from all people.
And among them: that he said to Umar: I see you slain by the slave of Umm Amr, against whom you will pass an unjust judgment, so he will kill you. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 528)
And among the foretellings of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was what he said to Umar: I see that before long you will be killed at the hands of a slave, against whom you will have judged unjustly.
From Ali (AS), in a hadith: that when the people of the Camel began fighting the companions of Ali (AS), he called for the Mushaf and took it in his hand and said: O people, who will take this Mushaf and call these people to what is in it? He said: A youth of the Mujashi' sprang up and said: I will take it. Ali (AS) said to him: O youth! Your right hand will be cut off, then you will take it with your left hand, then you will be struck over it with the sword until you are killed. Then it is related that this happened just as he (AS) had said. And by his chain, from Abu Bashir, in a hadith: that they had gathered at Basra, and Ali (AS) said: Who will take the Mushaf and say to them: What do you hold against us, that you would shed our blood and your own? A man said: I will, O Commander of the Faithful! He said: You will be killed. He said: I do not care. He said: So he went to them and they killed him. Then on the next day he said the like of what he had said the day before, and a man said: I will. He said: You will be killed just as your companion was killed yesterday. He said: I do not care. He said: So he went. Then another came forward, one every day, until Ali (AS) said: Now fighting them has become lawful for you. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 533)
When the people of the Camel took up their position against the army of Ali (AS), his Eminence called for the Mushaf, took it in his hand, and said: Who will take this Qur'an and call this group to what is in it? A young man of the tribe of Mujashi' rose and said: I will, O Commander of the Faithful! The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to him: O youth! Your right hand will be cut off, so you will take it with your left hand; then they will strike you with the sword until you are killed. And it happened just as the Imam had said. The next day the Imam repeated the same words, and another man volunteered. The Imam said to him: You too will be killed, like the one of yesterday! He said: I do not mind. And he too was killed. This happened every day, until Imam Ali (AS) said: Now fighting them has become lawful for you.
It is related therein from the Commander of the Faithful (AS): that he saw al-Hasan al-Basri performing the ablution for prayer — and he was a man given to scruples — and he poured a great deal of water over his limbs. So he said to him: You have spilled much water, O Hasan! He said: What the Commander of the Faithful has spilled of the blood of the Muslims is more. He said: Does that grieve you? He said: Yes. He said: Then may you never cease to be grieved. He said: And al-Hasan never ceased to be scowling, frowning, and full of sorrow until he died. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 536)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) saw al-Hasan al-Basri performing the ablution for prayer; he was very scrupulous and was wasting a great deal of water. The Imam said to him: O Hasan! You are pouring out much water! Hasan replied: The Commander of the Faithful has poured out more of the blood of the Muslims! The Imam said: Does that grieve you? Hasan said: Yes. The Imam said: Then you shall always be grieved. And so it was that al-Hasan al-Basri remained scowling, frowning, and sorrowful to the end of his life.
From Ali (AS), in a hadith: The non-Arabs shall surely strike you over religion at the end, just as you struck them over it at the beginning. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 541)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said, addressing the Arabs: A time will come when the non-Arabs will strike you so that you return to religion, just as there was a time when you struck them so that they would become religious.
Ibn Jubayr, in the book Nukhab al-Manaqib li-Al Abi Talib, [with a chain going back] to Jabir, to al-Khudri, to Ibn Abbas: that when Khalid returned with his army from fighting the people of apostasy, Ali (AS) saw him on a piece of land belonging to him, and words crowded in his throat like the growl of a lion. He said to him: Woe to you! Would you really have done it? — meaning what Abu Bakr had ordered him to do, to kill him after the prayer. He said: Indeed! So he threw him down from his horse and twisted the iron of al-Harith's millstone around his neck with his hand as though it were soft leather, and his companions looked on as though they were beholding the Angel of Death. He remained thus for days, and the people in Medina laughed at him. When his state became grave, Abu Bakr brought him to seek his intercession for its unfastening. He (AS) said: When he saw the multitude of his troops, he wished to humble me, so I humbled him. Then the assembly rose and adjured him by oath, so he began to twist off a hand-span of it at a time and cast it away. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 542)
When Khalid ibn al-Walid was returning with his army after the war against the apostates, Ali (AS) saw him on the outskirts of Medina. Words remained pent up in the heart of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) and gathered in his throat like the roar of a lion. So he said to Khalid: Woe to you! Did you truly intend such a deed? Khalid replied: Yes! The Imam (AS) pulled him down from his horse and wound the chain of al-Harith's millstone around his neck with his own hand as though it were leather. The chain, as if it had been made red-hot in a smith's fire, folded in upon itself and locked fast. Khalid's companions were so terrified that it was as if they had seen the Angel of Death. The chain would not come off Khalid's neck, and he remained in this state for several days while the people of Medina laughed at him. When Khalid's condition became critical, Abu Bakr brought him to the Imam to intercede for his release. The Imam (AS) said: When he saw the multitude of his troops, he wished to humble me, so I humbled him. Then the crowd rose up and adjured the Commander of the Faithful (AS) to pardon Khalid. The Imam (AS) began to break off the chain a hand-span at a time and cast it away.
He said: And in his Nukhab he traced back to Jabir, who said: We prayed [the dawn prayer] behind Ali, and he turned to us and said: May God make great your reward for your brother Salman. The people spoke about this, and then he set out toward him. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 542)
Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari says: In Medina we prayed the dawn prayer behind the Commander of the Faithful (AS). After the prayer, his Eminence turned to us and said: May God have mercy on Salman and grant you patience in his absence! A murmur arose, and we understood that Salman had passed to the mercy of God in al-Mada'in.
And by a chain which he mentioned, from the Commander of the Faithful (AS), in a hadith: that a man and a woman disputed over a camel, so the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Speak, O camel! To whom do you belong? And it said in eloquent speech: O Commander of the Faithful and best of the executors of the prophets, I have belonged to this woman for more than ten years. (Ithbat al-Hudat, vol. 3, p. 557)
A man and a woman disputed over the ownership of a camel. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: O camel! Speak: who is your owner? The camel said in eloquent speech: O Commander of the Faithful and best of the executors! For more than ten years my owner has been this woman.
Kulliyyat-i Hadith-i Qudsi is a translation of the book al-Jawahir al-Saniyya fi al-Ahadith al-Qudsiyya by the late Hurr al-Amili, and according to him it is the first book to gather the sacred (qudsi) hadiths together in one place. A sacred hadith is a speech from God that was sent down upon the Prophet (PBUH) by a way other than the Noble Qur'an; it is also called a lordly or divine hadith. The content of the sacred hadiths is for the most part ethical and mystical. The most important discussion and difference of opinion concerning these hadiths is whether or not their very wording is revealed. Most of these hadiths have been transmitted from the Noble Prophet (PBUH) through Anas ibn Malik, Abu Hurayra, Ibn Abbas, and the Commander of the Faithful (AS). Besides the comprehensiveness of al-Hurr's book, most of the hadiths gathered in it are agreed upon and accepted by both parties (Shia and Sunni).