Ali During the 6th to 8th Year of Hijrah

This period in Ali's life is distinguished by continuation of his brilliant works for Islam.  Ali's nobility of character was attested to by the Holy Quran.  Ahlul Bayt were the privileged ones when the Ayah of Tat'heer was revealed on their behalf.  This was followed by a number of Hadiths on their behalf too.

   Ali played an ever important role as the second hand to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as vast areas came under the umbrella of Islam.

AT HOME  

   The encounter of the ditch was told to Fatima (a.s.) many times, by friends and Ali alike.  No one could hide their love and pride in what the 29 yr. old Ali did.  Ali (a.s.) was the hero of the spectacular and unique Ditch Encounter.  He had slain the awesome Amr, thus shocking and undoing the enemy.  People also talked about the Badr Encounter and the remarkable feats Ali had accomplished; and about that of Ohod, and how Ali finished the enemy's standard bearers, defending the Prophet and single-handedly beating back the four waves of attackers.

   Al-Hasan and Al-Husain listened to this news too, etching them in their young minds.

ALLAH HONORS THEM  

   It was not the month of Ramadhan but Ali and Fatima were fasting.  They were at home and Fatima (a.s.) was preparing the food to break the fast.

   As Ali (a.s.) and Fatima (a.s.) sat to break their fast they heard a knock on the door.  They saw a man in ragged clothes standing, his hands shaking, and his face pale.  He asked if he could be helped and fed.  The man was invited in and offered all the food available.  The man thanked them then took the food and left.  Both Ali (a.s.) and Fatima (a.s.) were left nothing to eat and little to cook with for Suhoor.

   Ali and Fatima fasted the following day, and when time for breaking the fast was due, once more a knock was heard.  This time someone claiming to be an orphan was asking for help.  He too was offered all the food and with thanks, he took the food.

   On the third day, both Ali and Fatima were again fasting, and when time for breaking the fast was due they were weak, shaky, and dizzy.  It was difficult for them to hold themselves steady.  Once more at this time a knock was heard!  This time a man who was destitute was in need of food.  Ali and Fatima couldn't help but again offer him their food, thus they underwent three days of fasting, having nothing to eat.  They would rather help others in need!

   For this occasion a remarkable Revelation from Allah (18 verses) was sent down to Muhammad (pbuh) in honor of these two, Fatima and Ali.  The Revelation says (Surah  76:  Ayah  8):

وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا

OUT OF LOVE FOR ALLAH, THEY FEED

THE POOR,  THE ORPHAN, AND THE DESTITUTE

   None of the Muslims had such a recognition or such an honor except Ali and Fatima—it was a high honor given to them by Allah.

THE NEXT TWO YEARS  

   Ali at the age of 30 accompanied the Prophet (pbuh) to perform Omrah.  The Muslims were stopped at Hudaibiya some distance from Mecca where negotiations took place.  A treaty was made between Muhammad (pbuh) and the disbelievers.  Ali (a.s.) was the scribe of the Hudaibiya agreement.

   The Hudaibiya treaty proved very favorable to Islam, and after Hudaibiya the expansion of Islam accelerated.  There was always someone or some group who wanted to learn about Islam and more than ever before, it was an active time of teaching Islam.  Numerous people and many tribes came to learn about and embrace Islam.

ALI (a.s.) AND THE PROPHET (pbuh)  

   By now the 30 year old Ali (a.s.) had spent about 25 years under the care and tutoring of Muhammad (pbuh).  Ali's early childhood, teen years and young adulthood were spent in this warm and close company.

   Their association was not that of need, dependency, or emotions, it was much more than that.  It was a relationship characterized by the Prophet as the receiver of Allah's Revelations, and Ali as its defender.  This mutual attraction was mental, spiritual, and emotional, and it continued that way.

   Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said numerous Hadiths on behalf of Ali (a.s.), and a Hadith commands a Muslim's commitment to it, since Allah says of the Prophet (Surah  53:  Ayah  3):

VERILY, HE SAYS NOT OF HIS OWN

HE IS DIRECTED BY REVELATIONS

   This association gave the greatest chance for Ali to learn first hand from Muhammad (pbuh), not only of the Holy Quran but also:

▪    the Tafseer, Quran's meaning and interpretation,

▪    the Hadith,

▪    the Fiqh, and

▪    the Shari'ah, (Islamic Directives).

   However, learning by itself is not enough, there has to be a very high intelligence, with depth of thought, ability to analyze, and a superb memory.  If such qualities are added to an eagerness to learn, it makes that man very great indeed, and such was Ali.  This was the discovery, the great discovery by Prophet Muhammad about Ali.  That is why we hear the Prophet repeatedly speaks of Ali as follows:

أنا مدينة العِلْم  وعليٌّ بابها،  فمنْ أراد المدينه  فاليدخل مِنَ الباب

I AM THE LOCALITY OF ENLIGHTENMENT

AND ALI IS ITS GATEWAY

HE WHO WANTS TO REACH THIS LOCALITY

SHOULD COME THROUGH THIS GATEWAY

(Al-Haakim, Mustadrak Vol. 3, Page 226.  Also Ibn Jareer, Kanzul Ummal Vol. 15, Page 13.  Also Ibn Katheer, History, Vol. 7, Page 358)

   But why, one may ask, did Muhammad (pbuh) say this Hadith so often when there were other knowledgeable Companions around?  The reason is that the store of religious knowledge Ali (a.s.) contained was enormous, and it exceeded that of anyone except the Prophet (pbuh).  This was well attested to by Omar, the renowned second Khalifa, who admiringly pictured Ali by saying:

لا بقيتُ لمُعلِضةٍ ليسَ لها أبو الحسن

MAY I NOT LIVE THE DAY IN WHICH

A RELIGIOUS PROBLEM EXISTS

WHICH ALI CANNOT SOLVE

(M. J. Chirri, Amir al-Mu'mineen, Page 13)

   But store of knowledge is not enough.  For Muhammad (pbuh) to declare Ali (a.s.) as the gateway to that knowledge he must have found other aspects of great importance in Ali's personality.

► Muhammad (pbuh) discovered in Ali (a.s.) a man of genius.

► Muhammad (pbuh) discovered in Ali (a.s.) brilliance in not only analyzing problems but finding solutions to them.

► The Prophet (pbuh) discovered in Ali (a.s.) original thinking, an originator, a creative thinking man.

► Muhammad (pbuh) also discovered in Ali power of in-depth analysis of any situation, yet within the Islamic ideals, and never shifting from these.

►  Muhammad (pbuh) discovered that Ali (a.s.) was a true idealist, an Islamic idealist.

PURIFICATION OF AHLUL BAYT (TAT'HEER)  

   Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was at the house of his wife Umm Salama.  The modest house was tidy and clean.  Umm-Salama, busy with her chores, heard the Prophet say, "Bring them to me, bring them to me."  He explained he wanted to see Fatima, Ali and their two sons immediately.

   Muhammad (pbuh) asked Al-Hasan, Al-Husain, and Fatima to partially cover themselves with his mantle, then he asked Ali to do likewise.  He thereupon did the same.  The mantle became a uniting cover shared by all five, partly covering every one of them, thus becoming a visible uniting bond, binding all five.

   Before anyone could ask what it was about, the Prophet (pbuh) lifted his hands in supplication and said,

أللهم هؤلاء أهل بيتي    فأذهِبْ عنهم الرجْس وطهِّرهم تَطهِرا

"DEAR LORD THIS IS MY AHLUL BAYT

SANCTIFYING THEM AND

REMOVE FROM THEM IMPURITY."

   Then Muhammad (pbuh) explained that Jubra'eel (Gabriel) had just revealed to him a unique Ayah, an Ayah in which Allah decreed to purify and sanctify them, calling them Ahlul Bayt.  Umm-Salama then asked, "How about me?  Can I come under the blanket?"  Patiently Prophet Muhammad replied, "No, you stay where you are, you will be fine."

   When asked about the wording of the Ayah, Muhammad (pbuh) answered:

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا

"VERILY, ALLAH HAS DECREED TO PURIFY YOU

O' AHLUL BAYT

AND SANCTIFY YOU IN A PERFECT WAY

(Surah  33:  Ayah  33.  According to A'isha, Ayah of Tat'heer (Purification) was revealed on behalf of Fatima, Ali, Al-Hasan, and Al-Husain, see Sahih Muslim Vol. 3, Page 130.)

WHAT DOES AYAH OF TAT'HEER MEAN?  

   When Ayah of Tat'heer was revealed, and as Muhammad (pbuh) was informed by Jubra'eel, the Prophet (pbuh) pronounced Fatima, Ali, Al-Hasan, and Al-Husain to be the "Ahlul Bayt".  At this time Al-Hasan, and Al-Husain were young children and their contribution in the future for Islam only Allah knew.  Allah knew the pivotal roll Ali, Fatima, Al-Hasan, and Al-Husain would play for Islam, thus they were the specified Ahlul Bayt.

   Zainab, the daughter of Ali, was not included, for the Prophet (pbuh) did not include her, just as none of the Prophet's wives or others were not to be included.

   This matter is extremely important.  The Ayah indicates that Allah Himself has honored Ahlul Bayt, and He promised to keep them "pure, spotless, and sanctified."  Allah had taken it upon Himself to safeguard Ahlul Bayt, to keep them unblemished, untainted, upright, virtuous, and chaste.  This is the source and basis of the Ismah (meaning Allah has safeguarded them from a) sin, b) religious error, and c) forgetfulness.)

   History shows that the contributions Ahlul Bayt made to Islam had, without doubt, verified the very essence of the Ayah and confirmed what Allah had promised.

   The Companions of the Prophet (pbuh), other relatives of his, his wife Umm-Salama, and others were very good people, but like all of us they were subject to errors and mistakes, and their station in Islam varied.  But it was only Ahlul Bayt who were sanctified by Allah (Ma'soom), and one may ask why?

WHY WERE AHLUL BAYT PURIFIED?  

   Allah did not sanctify Ahlul Bayt because they were related to the Prophet, He did it because He had a reason.  One may ask: "Why they?  Why did He want to purify Ali (a.s.) and not such notable personalities as Abu Bakr, Omar, Abu-Dhar, or Ammar.  Why did Allah want to purify two children, Al-Hasan and Al-Husain, and not their sister, or why did He want to purify Fatima and not A'isha?

   The answer is that Allah knew the pivotal role Ahlul Bayt were going to play for Islam.  He knew the tremendous work and contribution they would do for Islam in the coming years:  to preserve Islam and its teachings, to guard it and sustain it along the proper course, and to uphold Islam by teaching it correctly to others just as Muhammad (pbuh) had taught it.

   Allah knew they would do this persistently over the years.  Ahlul Bayt sacrificed everything to teach Islam in its authentic unadulterated form.  They sacrificed their own lives and even the lives of their children!  Ahlul Bayt stood for the righteous and the upright, and for the ideals of Islam.  They suffered dearly at the hands of tyrants.

   Allah knew what would be ahead of Ahlul Bayt and He knew their mettle and stamina.  That is why He decreed to purify them and keep them pure.

KHAYBAR IS THE AIM  

   Khaybar, about 80 miles north of Medina, consisted of a community with a cluster of eight fortifications, some were extremely well built.  Khaybar, a military bastion, was lived in, managed, and directed by several Jewish tribes.  It was the stronghold of Arabia.

   Previously some of these Jewish tribes were in Medina and had treaties with Muhammad (pbuh), but having broken the treaties they were forced to leave Medina.

   The Jewish tribes of Khaybar threatened the security of the Muslims by designing plots to destroy the Muslims.  The most dangerous plan was the one of the confederation, which they planned and helped lead the 10,000 disbelievers against the Muslims for the Ditch Confrontation.       Because the inhabitants of Khaybar were a grave danger to the survival of the Muslims, it became necessary to control them.  To do this the Prophet (pbuh), with 1600 Muslims, headed north to Khaybar.  Ali, being sick at the time, couldn't do anything at first.  His sickness took time before improving.  Even then, Ali was left with conjunctivitis and swollen eyelids, shutting both eyes completely.

   At Khaybar the Muslims engaged the Jewish tribes in several battles, none of which succeeded.  The Muslims had not conquered a single fort during almost three weeks, and as the food supply dwindled, it was worrisome.

   Then Muhammad (pbuh) gave the leadership to Abu Bakr (r).  Abu Bakr (r) lead the Muslims and engaged them in hard fighting, but unfortunately the Jewish tribes were victorious.  By evening the Muslim force returned with not much to brag about.

   The next morning Muhammad (pbuh) gave the leadership to Omar (r).  The engagement with the enemy was just as severe, and the fighting was very hard, but the Muslims were not victorious either.  The Muslims accumulated casualties, and Omar returned apologetically acknowledging how strong the Jewish fortifications were.

Ø   Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) then said:

لأُعطِينَّ هذه الرايةَ غداً   رجُلاً يفتًح الله على يَدَيْه،

يُحبُّ اللهَ ورسُولَه ويُحِبُّه اللهُ ورسولُه

TOMORROW I'LL GIVE THE LEADERSHIP

TO A MAN WHO WILL SUCCEED BY ALLAH'S WILL

HE LOVES ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER

AND LIKEWISE ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER LOVE HIM

(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 5, Page 171.  Also Sahih Muslim, Vol. 15, Page 178.)

   Every Muslim wished to be the man mentioned by the Prophet.  The expected choice of next day caused much talk, wishful thinking, and hope, and as they went to bed all were planning for the next day's encounter.

   "Where is Ali?" Muhammad (pbuh) asked the next morning.  Ali, whose eyes were still closed due to the conjunctivitis, was brought by two men to Muhammad (pbuh), each holding one of his arms.  When Ali was by the Prophet, the Prophet (pbuh) wetting his finger with his saliva touched the eyelids of Ali, and prayed for a cure.  To the amazement of all the swelling of the eyelids began to go away, the redness of his eyes disappeared, and Ali's eyes were back to normal within a few minutes!!

   Everyone said Allaahu Akbar, and the tension began to ease.  Ali (a.s.) was the leader for the day, and it had been revealed to the Prophet by Jubra'eel that he would be victorious.  People now knew that it was Ali who loved Allah and Allah's Messenger and that Allah and the Messenger of Allah have loved him so.

ALI AND KHAYBAR  

   Once Ali was assigned the leadership he raced ahead and the Muslims had to hurry to follow him, hardly catching up.  The Jewish fighters, now very sarcastic of the Muslims, saw the Muslims outside the fortress again but with an urgency.  Immediately the fighting broke out, and Marhab the Jewish leader and hero, read a poem bragging about himself and challenging Ali.  Hardly waiting, Ali fell on him like lightning.  Ali was so overwhelming that he slew Marhab before people could recognize what was going on.  As the two sides engaged, the Muslims' morale grew quite high, they identified with Ali, the leader of the leaders, the lion of Allah!