Khalifa Ali Bin Talib

8/13/2019 Khalifa Ali Bin Talib

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Khalifa Ali bin Talib

Birth of Ali

Parentage

Ali was the son of Abu Talib, a prominent Quraish chief and custodian of the Holy Kaaba.

Abu Talib was so called because he was the father of "Talib", the eldest brother of Ali.The real name of Abu Talib was Abd Manaf. He was however more popularly known by

his surname than by his real name. Abu Talib was the son of Abdul Muttalib. AbdulMuttalib was also a surname, his real name being Shaybah. Abdul Muttalib was the son

of Hashim. Hashim was a great man of the line, and his descendants came to be knownas Hashimites.

The mother of Ali was Fatima. She was the daughter of Asad who was a son of Hashim.Fatima was a cousin of Abu Talib. Thus both the father and mother of Ali wereHashimites, and that was a great honor.

Ancestry of Ali and the Holy Prophet

The Holy Prophet was the son to Abdullah who was the son of Abdul Muttalib. Abdullahand Abu Talib were real brothers. Abu Talib was thus the real paternal uncle of the HolyProphet of Islam. Ali was the first cousin of the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet and Alihad a common grandfather Abdul Muttalib.

Abdul Muttalib was the son of Hashim who was the son of Abd Manaf who was the son of

Qussay who was the son of Murrah, who was the son of Kaab, who was the son ofLuayy, who was the son of Ghalib, who was the son of Fihr, who was the son of Malikwho was the son of Nadr, who was the son of Kananah. Beyond Kananah the ancestryextended to Ismail, and Ibrahim, who flourished some 2500 years earlier.

Date of birth

The exact date of the birth of Ali is not known with any degree of certainty. According totraditions, Ali was born on the thirteenth of "Rajab" in the 28th year of the Elephant Era.The Elephant Era according to the annals of Arabia commenced when Abraha theChristian Viceroy of Yemen invaded Makkah with the intention of destroying the Kaaba,

and shifting the center of pilgrimage to Yemen. The invasion failed and the Christianarmy had to beat a retreat without achieving its object. That marked the retreat ofChristianity from the heartland of Arabia and paved the way for the rise of Islam. The

Holy Prophet of Islam was born in the Year of the Elephant. According to scholars theYear of the Elephant corresponds to the year 571 of the Christian era. On this basis, theyear of the birth of Ali would have to be placed around 599 or 600 C.E. Anyhow Ali wasat the junction of the two centuries, the sixth and the seventh.

Birth of Ali


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Ali was born under unusual circumstances. On the thirteenth of the holy month of"Rajab", Fatima, the mother of Ali, visited the Kaaba for performing the pilgrimage.During the course of the pilgrimage while circumambulating the Kaaba, Fatima felt thepangs of childbirth. She retired to a secluded place in the precincts of the Holy Kaaba,and there Ali was born. Ali had thus the unique honor of being born in the House of God.This unparalleled honor has endowed Ali with a halo of sanctity, which has become the

subject of many legends. A hundred years later, Zain-ul-Abidin a grandson of Ali (son ofHusain) met as Arab woman at Najaf who told him that her grandmother had helped onthe occasion of the birth of Ali. She narrated that according to the account of hergrandmother, the child was beautiful, a smile played on his lips, it did not cry like otherchildren, and its birth did not cause any pain to his mother.

The Name

Fatima wanted to name the child "Asad" after the name of her father. Abu Talib wantedto name him Zaid. When the mother and the child came home, the Holy Prophet, andKhadija came to see the newborn child. Since his birth, the child had not opened his

eyes, and that worried Fatima and Abu Talib. As the Holy Prophet took the child in hislap he opened his eyes. The first person that Ali saw after his birth was the Holy Prophet.When the Holy Prophet was asked whether he approved of the child being named as

Asad or Zaid, he said that as the child was born in the House of God, he should benamed Ali, the word Ali being a derivative of Allah. Ali had thus the distinction of beingnamed after Allah. No person before him had ever been so named. The name acquiredfurther sanctity as it was proposed by the Holy Prophet.

Years of Childhood

The Holy Prophet and Ali

The Holy Prophet was a posthumous child, and he was born after the death of his fatherAbdullah. He lost his mother Aamina when he was hardly six years old. Thereafter he

became a ward of his grandfather Abdul Muttalib. He lost his grandfather when he nineyears old. The Holy Prophet next lived with his Uncle Abu Talib who a real brother of hisfather. In the house of Abu Talib, the Holy prophet was well cared for. Abu Talib lovedthe Holy Prophet more than his own sons. Fatima the wife of Abu Talib gave the Holy

Prophet the love of mother. The Holy Prophet accompanied Abu Talib on his tradejourneys. It was under the loving care of Abu Talib and Fatima that the Holy Prophetgrew into manhood. At the age of twenty-five, some time around 596 C.E., the HolyProphet married a rich lady Khadija and shifted to her house. There was not much

distance between the two houses and the two families visited each other frequently. TheHoly Prophet cold never forget the love that Abu Talib and Fatima had born for him.

Even after his marriage, the Holy Prophet regarded himself as a member of the family ofAbu Talib. In this context, it is probable that the Holy Prophet and Khadija would haverejoiced at the birth of Ali and would have some function to celebrate the occasion.

Life in the desert

No detailed account of the early years of the childhood of Ali is available, and where thesource books are silent the story has been reconstructed on the basis of the laws of

plausibility and probability. It was a custom of the Quraish of Makkah that theyentrusted their new born sons to the care of foster parents belonging to the tribes of thedesert, and it was in the open air of the desert that the young sons of the Quraish werebred during the first few years of their childhood. We know that the Holy Prophet spent

the first five years of his childhood with his foster parents in the desert. We do not knowwho the foster parents of Ali were. Ali had a strong constitution, and after the Holy


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Prophet, he was the most eloquent person among the Quraish. This provides evidence tothe effect that like the Holy Prophet, Ali spent the first few years of his childhood in thedesert. It appears that the necessary arrangements in this behalf were made by the HolyProphet, and he paid for the maintenance of Ali in the desert.

Induction of Ali as a member of the family of the Holy Prophet

As the Holy Prophet had arranged for the stay of Ali in the desert, it appears that onreturn from the desert, the young Ali was brought to the house of the Holy Prophet, andhe arranged some function to mark the occasion which was attended by Abu Talib andhis family, and other close relatives. The Holy Prophet had looked after the young Alisince his birth and he developed a great liking for him. It was against this backgroundthat the Holy Prophet requested Abu Talib that Ali be entrusted to his care, and beallowed to live with him as a member of his family. Abu Talib agreed as he felt that theHoly Prophet would look after Ali in a much better way than he could.

Most of the writers have expressed the view that the Holy Prophet took over the

responsibility for the maintenance of Ali to provide financial relief to Abu Talib whosefinancial position had grown weak. It is difficult to accept this view. Abu Talib was a

Quraish chief and he enjoyed reputation as such and commanded great influence. Likethe other Quraish he undertook trading activities. There is no evidence to the effect thathe was involved in any financial difficulty. Abu Talib had really any financial difficulty, theHoly Prophet who was in affluent circumstances could have supplemented the financialresources of Abu Talib by providing financial assistance as a son would help a father inold age. The truth of the matter is that Ali was entrusted to the Holy Prophet, notbecause of any financial considerations, but because the Holy Prophet had developed a

liking for the child, and wanted to have him by his side. In entrusting Ali to the care ofthe Holy Prophet, Abu Talib did not part from Ali. Ali visited the house of his parentsevery day, and he was as much a member of the house of Abu Talib as that of the HolyProphet. Indeed the house of the Holy Prophet was an extension of the house of Abu

Talib, and the young Ali lived with the Holy Prophet as a younger brother would live withan elder brother without any break with the paternal house.

The Umayyads versus the Hashimites

It appears that most of the accounts of the period were written when the Umayyads hadwrested power from the Hashimites. Because of the rivalry between the Umayyads and

the Hashimites, most of the writers during the Umayyad period tried to create theimpression that the Hashimites were not good managers, and that the financial positionof Abu Talib had deteriorated because of his inefficiency. This view is uncharitable. The

Muslims are under great obligation to Abu Talib for his guardianship of the Holy Prophet

and for his support of Islam, and such views which cast an indirect aspersion on AbuTalib have to be rejected because of the bias of the writers.

Ward of the Holy Prophet

Biographical study

Ali became the ward of the Holy Prophet at the age of five. No account is available fromthe source books about the life of Ali during this period. As Ali came to be attached tothe Holy Prophet during this period, we can derive help from the life of the Holy Prophetin order to undertake a biographical study of Ali. There are three turning points in the

life of the Holy Prophet. The first turning point was his marriage with Khadija in 596 C E.when he was twenty-five years old. The second turning point was the call toprophethood in 611 C.E. when he was forty years old. The third turning point was the


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migration to Yathrib in 622 C E. when he was fifty-one years old. The life of the HolyProphet is thus divisible into four periods. The first period of 25 years extends from 571to 596 C. E the second period of 15 years extends from 596 to 611 C.E. The third periodof 11 years extends from 611 to 622 C.E. The fourth and the last period covering tenyears extends from 622 to 632 C.E. We have sufficient details about the third and fourthperiods. A few details are available about the first period, but there are practically no

details in any source book pertaining to the period from 596 to 611. These were theformative years preliminary to the call to prophethood, and in order to get a completepicture of the life of the Holy Prophet we will have to reconstruct the life story of theHoly Prophet during this period on the basis of further research. The law of plausibility

and probability will also have to be pressed into service to set the narrative in properperspective. As Ali became the ward of the Holy Prophet, during this period we cannotreproduce an account of the life of Ali during this period from any source book. We will

have to undertake an exercise in the reconstruction of the biography of Ali during thisperiod.

The house of the Holy Prophet

When Ali came to live with the Holy Prophet that was some time in the year 604 C.E. Bythis time eight years had passed since the marriage of the Holy Prophet and Khadija. At

the time the Holy Prophet was thirty-three years and Khadija was forty-eight years old.During these eight years, Khadija had given birth to seven children. Out of these threewere sons and four were daughters. All the three boys died during infancy. The girlssurvived. These were Zainab, Ruqayya, Umm Kulthum and Fatima. There were no morebirths thereafter. All the source books that have come down to us are silent as to theactivities of the Holy Prophet during this period. We know that Khadija was a rich ladyand when the record is silent about any business activity of the Holy Prophet that tends

to create the impression that the Holy Prophet depended on the wealth of his wife. TheHoly Prophet being the greatest of all men of all times, and a personification ofperfection in all spheres of human activity could not be supposed as living on the wealth

of anybody else, howsoever close. Years later in a verse of the Holy Quran, Allah said,"Were thee not poor, and did We not enrich thee?" A person who depends on the wealthof another person cannot be regarded as a rich man. The test of richness is that suchrichness should be on his own account and because of his own efforts. We know that theHoly Prophet was a skilful Manager, and a man endowed with such qualities could not beexpected to sit idle. We know that the Holy Prophet was known as "Amin". This meansthat he was a banker, and a person who practiced banking must necessarily be a richman. The Holy Prophet undertook some trade journeys before his marriage, and such

journeys proved to be profitable from the business point of view. There appears to be noground to believe that the Holy Prophet stopped all business activity after marriage. Onthe other hand, the plausibility is that he undertook such activities on a still bigger scale.It appears that during this period, the Holy Prophet headed a trade organization whereof

his wife and some other friends were partners. We can thus conclude that when Ali cameto live with the Holy Prophet, he found in the house of the Holy Prophet, all the comfortsthat are found in the house of a rich man.

Education of Ali

As the Holy Prophet was rich, it is certain that on taking over the responsibility for the

maintenance of Ali, the Holy Prophet made the best possible arrangement for hiseducation. Later in life, Ali came to enjoy reputation for being the most learned man ofhis age in Arabia. This points to the fact that the Holy Prophet took particular care ineducating Ali, Ali was a precocious child, at an early age he came to master knowledgewhich others could hardly understand.

Trade journeys


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Though there is no record to show that the Holy Prophet undertook any trade journeysduring this period, there are strong plausible grounds to hold that the Holy Prophet wasvery active in business enterprises, and that he undertook at least one or two journeysevery year. These journeys were generally undertaken to Yemen and Syria. There areindications that the Holy Prophet undertook some sea voyages as well and visited Egyptand Abyssinia. We know that when the Holy Prophet was a child, he accompanied his

uncle Abu Talib on trade journeys. Against this background, we would not be far fromthe truth to hold that the young Ali often accompanied the Holy Prophet on such trade

journeys. These journeys were highly educative and contributed a good deal to thebroadening of the outlook of Ali.

Ali and the Kaaba

Ali knew that he was born in the Kaaba. He had, therefore, a fond attachment for theKaaba. Some time in 605 C.E. the Quraish reconstructed the Kaaba. A dispute aroseabout the placing of the Holy Stone as each section of the Quraish wanted to have thishonor for itself. It was ultimately decided that on the appointed day whosoever was the

first to enter the Kaaba should decide as to how the dispute was to be resolved. On theappointed day the Holy Prophet was the first to enter the Kaaba. He decided that theHoly Stone should be placed in a mantle, and this mantle should be upheld by a

representative of each section of the Quraish. The stone was carried in this way to theplace where it was to be fixed in the wall. There the Holy Prophet lifted the stone fromthe mantle and fixed it at the appropriate place in the wall. Young Ali was present in theKaaba on this occasion and he watched the proceedings with great interest. Ali felt asense of pride at the association of his family with the Kaaba. He himself was born in theKaaba, and his guardian had presided at the ceremony of laying down the Holy Stone.The Kaaba was verily the House of God, but he wondered why it was studded with over

three hundred and sixty idols made of stone. The people worshipped these idols andslaughtered animals at their altar. He young Ali wondered why these deaf and dumbidols were worshipped and propitiated when they were not capable of conferring any

benefit or inflicting any wrong on the people.

Ali and the Holy Prophet

At this impressionable period of his life, the young Ali was most impressed with thepersonality and character of the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet was the paragon ofvirtues, and the personification of human perfection. The Holy Prophet, Abu Bakr, andsome other friends often met at the house of the Holy Prophet. The young Ali listened

attentively to such talks. From these talks the young Ali gathered that the Holy Prophetwas in quest of a new order of things. Ali resolved in his young mind that in anyadventure in the discovery of a new order of things, he would stand by the side of

Muhammad (peace be on him). He came to know from Abu Talib how a Christian monkin Syria had prophesied many years ago that Muhammad (peace be upon him) wasdestined to be a prophet of God. He heard from Khadija that her dream signified thatgreat destiny awaited Muhammad (peace be upon him),and that he was to be a great

leader of men and the savior of humanity. The young Ali anxiously longed to see thatday when such dreams would be realized. He moved by a strong determination that asand when Muhammad (peace be upon him) was lifted to the status of prophethood he,as the ward of the Holy Prophet, Ali regarded the Holy Prophet not merely as a brother

or a guardian, but as his guide and preceptor. Availing of the company of the HolyProphet, the young Ali took pains to acquire most of the attributes, which were thedistinguishing features of the character of the Holy Prophet. It was a result of thistraining received because of close association with the Holy Prophet that Ali in duecourse grew to be the alter ego of the Holy Prophet.


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Conversion to Islam

Turning point in history

The year 611 C.E. was a turning point in the life of Muhammad (peace be upon him) for

it was in this year that he was commissioned as a prophet of God to communicate themessage of Islam to mankind. It was a turning point in the life of Ali for in this year hewas converted to Islam. This was a turning point in the history of Islam. In fact it was aturning point in the history of mankind. It marked the end of the age of ignorance, andthe dawn of a new era of enlightenment.

The call to Prophethood

Just as the clouds appear before the rain, thus Muhammad (peace be upon him) hadsome indications before hand of the things to come. He had frequent dreams, in some

dreams he saw himself flying to the heavens in the great void of space. In some dreamshe saw the stars bow to him. In some dreams he heard the trees, the rocks and theether inanimate objects calling to him. In some dreams he saw himself standing at the

summit of a mountain, and calling to the people assembled below in the valley. Thesedreams foretelling of some great things to come motivated Muhammad (peace be onhim) to contemplate and meditate. To seek enlightenment through contemplation andmeditation, Muhammad (peace be on him) sought the solitude of a cave in Mount Hira,

some distance away from the city of Makkah. Muhammad (peace be on him) spent longhours in the cave absorbed in thought and meditation. When the stay in the caveextended to a long time Ali brought food for Muhammad in the cave. Ali kept watch onthe cave and patrolled the neighborhood. One day in the year 611, the angel Gabriel

appeared in the cave, and gave Muhammad (peace be on him) the tidings that God hadcommissioned him as a prophet and charged him to communicate the message of God tothe people. The visitation of the angel, an unusual occurrence was a novel experience

which upset Muhammad (peace be on him) and made him highly nervous.

Converts to Islam

When the Holy Prophet returned home he was highly agitated and most nervous. He toldof the occurrence in the cave to his wife Khadija. She consulted her cousin Waraqa bNaufal who was versed in religious lore. Waraqa said that the angel who had appeared

before Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the same angel who had appeared beforeAbraham, Moses and other prophets. Waraqa added that the visiting of the angel was agreat event, and she should rejoice that her husband had been chosen by the AlmightyGod as His Messenger. When Khadija told Muhammad (peace be on him) what Waraqa

had said, Muhammad (peace be on him) said that the burden of prophethood would betoo heavy for him to bear, and he did not know who would accept conversion to the newfaith at his hand. Khadija consoled him and said that the Almighty who had chosen himas His Messenger would Himself guide him in fulfilling His mission of prophethood.

Khadija offered herself as the first person to owe allegiance to Muhammad (peace be onhim) as the prophet of God. When Ali came to know of the conversion of Khadija hehastened to offer his allegiance to the Holy Prophet. Ali was the first among the youth tobe converted to Islam. In some books it is written that when Muhammad (peace be uponhim) invited Ali to the new faith, he showed some hesitation and said that he wouldconsult Abu Talib in the first instance. This version of what happened is far from thetruth. There was no hesitation on the part of Ali in accepting the truth. Ali had indeed

been longing for the day when the call from the Almighty would come and when the callcame he was so much overwhelmed with joy that there could be no question of any

hesitation. The acceptance of the new faith on the part of Ali was spontaneous and


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without any hesitation, for Ali had the firm conviction that Muhammad (peace be uponhim) was the true prophet of God.

Early years of Islam

During the first three years, Islam remained a private affair and no attempt was made toproclaim Islam publicly. The message of Islam was during this period conveyed privatelyto his friends by the Holy Prophet. Among the persons outside the family of the HolyProphet, Abu Bakr was the first to be converted to Islam. Abu Bakr in turn brought someof his friends to the fold of Islam. Those who accepted Islam persuaded their friends toaccept Islam. In this way the chain came to be extended, and the progress of Islamthough not spectacular was quite satisfactory. The early Muslims prayed in secludedglens, or other solitary places. On one occasion Abu Talib happened to see the Muslimspraying behind the Holy Prophet in a glen out side Makkah. Ali was one of thecongregation. Abu Talib asked Ali as to whom they were praying, and what was thereligion they had adopted. Ali told his father that they were praying to Allah, the Lord ofthe world and the universe. There was no god but Allah and Muhammad (peace be upon

him) was His prophet. Abu Talib pondered for a while and said, "If Muhammad hasbecome the prophet, hold fast to him for he cannot but be right. I know that hiselevation to prophethood was expected many years ago". When the Holy Prophet and Ali

visited the house of Abu Talib, they had a more detailed discussion about the new faith.Abu Talib was sympathetic, but as he was one of the tribal chiefs he could not abandonthe faith of his forefathers. He warned the Holy Prophet that he would have to face theopposition of the Quraish. He promised that though he would not accept the new faith,he would stand by him through thin and thick, and he would enjoy his full support.Fatima the wife of Abu Talib was more sympathetic. She said that she had motheredMuhammad, and Muhammad (peace be on him) was not the man to make a false claim.

She observed that it was yet too early for her to make a decision whether she was goingto accept Islam or not. Jafar, a brother of Ali put a few questions to the Holy Prophet,who answered them satisfactorily. Jafar wanted some more time to consider over the

matter.

Invitation to Banu Hashim

After three years of the call to prophethood, the Holy Prophet received the command ofGod that he should publicly proclaim the message of Islam, and that he could make abeginning with his relatives, belonging to the house of Banu Hashim. The Holy Prophetinvited the Hashimites, about forty men, to a feast. After the feast the Holy Prophet gave

an account as to how he had been visited by the angel Gabriel who had conveyed to himthe orders of Allah commissioning him as His prophet. He said that there was no god butAllah, and that he was His Messenger commissioned to call the people to the faith. He

added that the members of the house of Hashim should feel proud that this honor hadcome to one of them. Waxing eloquent the Holy Prophet said that in the task ofpromoting the new faith he needed their support. He posed the question, "Who out ofyou would support me in this task? A silence fell on the guests and no one uttered a

word. Young Ali thereupon rose to say, "Holy Prophet, I will be your support"? The HolyProphet looked approvingly at young Ali, and thanked him for his support. The HolyProphet posed the same question for the second and third time but, no one out of theguests promised any support. Each time the young Ali rose to offer his support in

unequivocal terms. Abu Talib had already assured the Holy Prophet of his protection andhe did not consider it advisable to make a public declaration of his support or protectionat that stage. He, however, felt happy at the courage shown by the young Ali. He feltthat there was something extraordinary in the new faith, which had motivated young Alito the demonstration of such courage in public. Abu Lahab a step uncle of the Holy

Prophet took a hostile attitude. He ridiculed the new faith, and felt sorry that his nephewhad lost his sense, and was suffering from some hallucination. He wanted the guests to


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disperse. The Holy Prophet felt very unhappy at his failure to win the support of theBanu Hashim. Though disappointed the Holy Prophet was not daunted. He knew that thecourse of the Truth could not be anything but rough and that in order to fulfil his missionhe should prepare himself to face difficulties. After his disappointment with the BanuHashim the Holy Prophet decided to make a public declaration of his faith. One day hemounted the hillock, Mt Safa, and called the people to come and listen to him. Ali was by

the side of the Holy Prophet. In response to the call a large crowd gathered at the foot ofthe hill to listen to the Holy Prophet. Addressing the people, the Holy Prophet said: "Opeople, if I tell you that on the other side of this hill there were the forces of an enemycoming to attack you, would you believe me"? They said, "Yes, we would believe in you,

for you are known to be truthful. " Thereupon the Holy Prophet said, "if I tell you thatthere is no god but Allah, and I am His prophet, would you believe me. " The peoplemade no reply and the crowd dispersed. The people steeped deep in ignorance were not

yet in the mood to know the Truth. As the Holy Prophet and Ali came down from the hillthey felt that they would have to carry a great struggle in the cause of their missionbefore any results could be achieved.

Ali

In the accounts of this period that have come down to us there is no mention of Ali. By

this time Ali had come of age. He was well educated, highly intelligent, most enterprisingand brave. It is difficult to believe that if the accounts make no mention of Ali, theinference is that he was idle and had nothing to do. When Abu Talib decided to espousethe cause of Muhammad (peace be on him), Ali most probably played an important partin prevailing upon Abu Talib to take the decision he did. We know that when the HolyProphet migrated to Yathrib, he entrusted the responsibility for winding up the businessin Makkah to Ali. In the accounts that have come down to us the Holy Prophet is shown

as a good manager and businessman, but in the accounts of the post-prophethoodperiod there is no account of any business activity on the part of the Prophet. Thewriters of the period apparently harbored the delusion that any business undertaking

was repugnant to prophethood. An impression is tried to be created that in the post-prophethood period the Holy Prophet undertook no business and depended on the wealthof his followers, Abu Bakr, Othman and others. This is an erroneous presentation, forIslam is not a religion for the next world alone, it is a religion for this world as well. Toabstain from business may be the Christian or the Buddhist concept of piety, but that isnot the Islamic concept of prophethood. The Holy Prophet is the greatest man of alltimes and such a man perfect in every way cannot be without independent sources ofincome. It appears that when Ali came of age, the Holy Prophet entrusted the

responsibility for running the business to Ali. It appears that during the period of thesocial boycott Ali continued to run the business of the holy Prophet (SAW). The boycottagreement merely restricted the sale or purchase by the Quraish; it did not and couldnot apply to business transactions elsewhere. It appears that Ali undertook business

journeys during this period, and the necessary provisions procured from outside Makkahwere duly supplied to the Banu Hashim in the glen.

Year of Sorrow

The Holy Prophet and the Quraish

The troubles of the Holy Prophet and the Muslims did not come to an end with the end ofthe social boycott. Frustrated at the failure of the boycott, the Quraish were in a sullenand hostile mood, and they began to think of the adoption of more stringent measureswhich could bring the Muslims to their knees. In the meantime Abu Talib fell sick. He was

already eighty years old and the strain of the confinement during the boycott had provedtoo heavy for him and had undermined his health. The malady grew worse, and when no


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hope was left of his survival, a deputation of the Quraish visited him at his deathbed.They said that as he was going to depart from the world, out of regard for him they wereinclined to offer terms of peace to Muhammad. Abu Talib summoned the Holy Prophet tohis presence, and the Quraish were asked to name their terms. They said that ifMuhammad desisted from maligning their faith and criticizing their gods, they would lethim alone to have his own way without any interference by the Quraish. The Holy

Prophet said that the way of the Quraish was the way of many gods, while his way wasthe way of the Oneness of God "hereunder there is no god but Allah, and all other godsare false. As the two ways crossed each other no agreement could be reached betweenthe parties. The Quraish, thus foiled, began to prepare for another major offensiveagainst the Holy Prophet and the Muslims to be launched after the death of Abu Talib.

Bequest of Abu Talib

Before his death, Abu Talib recorded a bequest, and had it hung in the Kaaba Accordingto "Rauza-tu's-Safa", this bequest reads as follows: "O thou people of Quraish! Thou artthe chosen race of God, and the best in the world. In my dying behest I will ask you to

be kind and well disposed towards Muhammad because he is a trustee from among theQuraish, and most truthful from amongst the whole population of Arabia. He has in hisperson all those things, which compel me to leave a will in his favor. He has tidings to

reveal which your heart accepts although for fear your lips do not respond to confirm thecall of your heart. I find that the half-barbarians of the Arabian desert, in contrast toyou, respond to the call and obey his orders and verily these are the people who will beexalted in this world and the hereafter. Mark me when I say that your chiefs will bedishonored, and stiff necked though they now are, they will soon be humbled. I see theentire country has sincerity and enthusiasm for his message, and the people havewidened their hearts to receive that love. In short they are willing to follow and obey

him. O thou Quraish! It is high time that you should befriend him, support him andfollow him in the path that he treads. I swear by God that only those who desist to followhim who are not destined to reform, and only those will follow in his footsteps who are

destined to be great, pious and noble. If there is some respite or delay in my death, andI survive a few more days I will support his cause. As far as it lies within my power I willprotect him from the evils of the enemy." This bequest was written by Ali and wasdictated by Abu Talib.

Death of Abu Talib

Abu Talib did not live long after the recording of his bequest. The Quraish felt annoyed at

the bequest, and said that Abu Talib had lost his senses in old age. When Abu Talib diedthere was rejoicing in the camp of the Quraish. Ali composed elegiac verses on thisoccasion. Some of these verses read: "Abu Talib is no more. His passing away is a great

loss. He was the protector of the poor and the weak. Whenever there was a famine, Heliberally aided those in distress. Whenever there was a difficulty he resolved it. He coulddistinguish the truth from falsehood. He was generous, kind hearted and sympathetic.Men of his caliber are rare. A vacuum has been created because of his death. The

Quraish are happy at his death. They have forgotten that man is mortal and no one cantarry in this world for long. Because of their mental deficiencies the Quraish have madeplans to destroy the Muslims, but we will teach them a lesson. It will be a war to thefinish. Either they will destroy us; Or we will destroy them. "

Death of Khadija

A few days after the death of Abu Talib, Khadija also passed away. The deaths of Abu

Talib and Khadija marked the end of an epoch. Abu Talib had been more than a father tothe Holy Prophet. In spite of the strong pressure of the Quraish, he had protected the


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Holy Prophet to the last, and had left a bequest in his favor. Abu Talib was of course thefather of Ali, and although Ali lived with the Holy Prophet, he was not denied thepaternal love of Abu Talib.

Khadija had been for the Holy Prophet more than wife. She placed all her wealth whichwas considerable at his disposal. She gave him love. She was the mother of his children.She supported him through thick and thin. She was indeed the first person to beconverted to Islam. To Ali she had been more than a mother.

The passing away of Abu Talib and Khadija created a great vacuum in the life of the Holy

Prophet. He felt very lonely and disconsolate. His grief was so intense that the Muslimscalled the year "619 C. EL," the year of the deaths of Abu Talib and Khadija as the "Yearof Sorrow. "

Ali shared this grief with the Holy Prophet. In heart-rending verses he mourned thedeaths of Abu Talib and Khadija. He said: both my eyes weep, weep for that chief of theBateha valley whose name was Abu Talib; and weep for that flower of womanhoodwhose name was Khadija. The woman first to accept Islam and first to pray. Both AbuTalib and Khadija were pure souls. Their passing away has created a great void. At thepain of their separation I spend the whole night in weeping. They helped the Holy

Prophet. They were a source of strength to Islam. After them the world has beenplunged into darkness. From God they came and to God they have returned; may theirsouls rest in peace.

Life in Madina

Ali arrived in Yathrib renamed as Madina-tun-Nabi or Madina in the honor of the Holy

Prophet towards the close of September in the year 622 C.E. The Holy Prophet welcomedhim to Madina, and appreciated his services for risking his life for him at Makkah in

facing the fury of the Quraish. The Holy Prophet was glad to note that the task allottedto Ali at Makkah had been properly and satisfactorily done by him.

The world of Madina was quite different from the world of Makkah. At Makkah the

Muslims were a persecuted people; at Madina they were the masters of their destiny. AtMakkah they were surrounded by enemies; at Madina they were in the midst of friends.The life at Madina marked a break with the past. The days of trials, tribulations andtortures were over and the Muslims were now set on the path of fulfillment. The Muslimswere now to build a new society and a new common wealth.

The climate of Makkah was dry, but the climate of Madina was damp. The landscape ofMakkah was marked by barren rocks, and stony wastes; the landscape of Madina was

market by agricultural fields, gardens, and groves of date palms. The change in thephysical scene affected the health of the emigrants, and some of them including AbuBakr fell sick. Ali withstood the climatic change without being affected in health. Hespent most of his time in nursing the sick and helping them in adjusting themselves tothe new environments.

Implications of the pairing of the Holy Prophet and Ali

The pairing of the Holy Prophet and Ali was a matter of great significance, and it haddeep implications and repercussions. In the various source books that have come downto us, no light is thrown on such implications. We will, therefore, have to undertake anexercise on our own account in spelling out the underlying implications. In the process of

brotherhood-formation every emigrant from Makkah was paired with an Ansar of Madina.The Holy Prophet was himself an emigrant from Makkah, and the question that arises for


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consideration is: why did the Holy Prophet not pair himself with any Ansar of Madina ?To be paired with the Holy Prophet was a great honor, and many Ansars coveted thishonor. If the Holy Prophet had shown preference for some particular Ansar that wouldhave been a cause for jealousy on the part of the other Ansars who equally coveted thehonor. In Madina the status of the Holy Prophet was that of a ruler, and if he had shownpreference for some particular Ansar, that would have been a cause of heart burning for

the other Ansar. The Holy Prophet did not pair himself with any Ansar because of hisimpartiality.

A consequence of the pairing of the emigrants and the Ansars was that the emigrantsshared with the Ansar their income and property. If the Holy Prophet did not pair withany particular Ansar the question is what was the source of income of the Holy Prophet

in Madina? When the Holy Prophet in order to maintain his impartially did not choose tohave a share in the income and property of a particular Ansar, it implies that he had hisshare in the income and property of all Ansars. It is a common practice with religiousfraternities that each person belonging to the fraternity contributes a certain percentageof his income to the common fund of the fraternity which is places at the disposal of thehead of the fraternity. It appears that the Ansars of Madina constituted some common

fund of similar nature and placed it at the disposal of the Holy Prophet. Presumably someproperty was also placed at the disposal of the Holy Prophet the income whereof couldbe utilized to meet his expenses as well as other common needs. The emigrants fromMakkah were traders, and in Madina as well they undertook trading activities. IndeedMadina offered more trading opportunities than Makkah. The Holy Prophet ran some sort

of business at Makkah which was managed by Ali. It appears that the same business wascontinued in Madinah. As the Holy Prophet had to devote a good deal of his attention tothe affairs of the State, the responsibility for running the business enterprise rested a

good deal on Ali. The Holy Prophet and Ali were already cousins and the brotherhoodconstituted signified that the ties between the Holy Prophet and Ali became still closerand stronger, and they shared each other's property.

Masjid-i-Nabwi

In 623 C.E. the Holy Prophet decided to build a mosque in Madina which was to be aprayer house as well as a community center. The Holy Prophet asked the Muslims tooffer their services in labor as well as capital towards the construction of the mosque. Aliwas the first person to offer his services as laborer. He shoveled the earth when thefoundations were being laid and later carried on baskets of brick and mortar which hepassed on to the masons. Ali composed some verses for the occasion, and he recitedthem as he worked as a laborer. Some of these verses which have been preserved are:"Whoever builds a mosque and works whether sitting or standing puts up with the pain

of labor, while others shirk work for fear of dust and pain. Both of these verily cannotequal each other". As the other Muslims labored they chanted: "There is no life but the

life of the next world, O God have mercy on the Muhajireen and the Ansar". Within a fewmonths the mosque was completed. It was square in form, and each side measured fifty

yards. The mosque faced towards the north, and had three gates on each of theremaining three sides. Adjoining the mosque apartments were constructed for thehousehold of the Holy Prophet. Ali also had an apartment in the mosque. The mosquewas a monument of simplicity. The walls were made of mud bricks and the roofs weresupported by trunks of palm trees. The apartments for the household were hung withblankets of camel hair as doors. The courtyard in each case was hardly six to sevenpaces in length, and the length of the rooms did not extend ten paces.

Marriage of Ali

Fatima


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When the Holy Prophet migrated to Yathrib he left his family at Makkah. When theMuslims had settled in Yathrib (renamed Madina) the Holy Prophet and the otherMuslims called their families to Madina. At the time of migration, Sauda an elderly ladywas the only wife of the Holy Prophet whom he had married after the death of Khadija.About a year after his arrival in Madina, the Holy Prophet married Ayesha, a daughter ofAbu Bakr.

By this time, Fatima, the youngest daughter of the Holy Prophet had come of

marriageable age, and the Holy Prophet had to consider the question of her marriage.Abu Bakr waited on the Holy Prophet, and asked for the hand of Fatima. The HolyProphet made no answer. Thereafter Umar asked for the hand of Fatima and the HolyProphet maintained silence. In the Arabian society of the day, the disparity in the age of

the bride and the bridegroom did not matter. The Holy Prophet married Khadija when hewas twenty-five and she was forty, fifteen years older than him. Later the Holy Prophet,when over fifty, married Ayesha yet within her teens. When the Holy Prophet did notrespond to the requests of Abu Bakr or Umar he was not bothered about the agequestion; his silence was due to the fact that he had to wait for the guidance of Godwhich was wont to get in all matters of importance affecting his person.

After the Battle of Badr, Ali made his suit. The Holy Prophet told Ali that he would givehis reply after consulting Fatima. The Holy Prophet consulted Fatima, and she

maintained silence signifying her assent. In the meantime the Holy Prophet received therevelation that God approved of the marriage of Fatima with Ali. When Fatima themother of Ali called on the Holy Prophet to press the suit on behalf of Ali, the HolyProphet was pleased to announce his acceptance.

Preparation for the Marriage

According to the accounts available in the source books, Ali had no money to meet the

expenses of the marriage. He had to sell his armor to raise the necessary funds. Othmanwho enjoyed reputation for his wealth agreed to purchase the armor for five hundreddirhams. After the transaction had been completed, and the amount had been paid,

Othman presented the armor to Ali as a marriage gift saying that the armor would bemore useful for a warrior like Ali than for a trader like him. Ali was reluctant to acceptthe gift, but Othman prevailed to accept it in the name of God, for thereby it would servethe cause of Islam in fighting against its enemies. That made Ali accept the gift withmany thanks. When Ali told of the transaction to the Holy Prophet, the Holy Prophetpraised the conduct of Othman and prayed for him.

The Marriage Khutba

On the day fixed for the marriage, the Muslims assembled in the mosque, and the HolyProphet delivered the Khutba solemnizing the marriage. The Holy Prophet said that allpraise was due to God who should be extolled for His various bounties; who should beworshipped for His power and majesty and who should be obeyed for His omnipotence.The Holy Prophet observed that it behooves the people to seek refuge God for fear of His

wrath. Dwelling on the might of God, the Holy Prophet said that His are the ordinanceswhich prevail in Heaven and earth. He is the One who by His might ordained theexistence of all creation. Through His commandments He gave us the power ofdiscrimination. He honored us giving His religion, and commissioning Muhammad as His

Prophet. Referring to the importance of marriages in human society the Holy Prophetsaid that undoubtedly the Almighty Lord made matrimonial alliances as the means of afresh relationship which is a fundamental necessity and a just affair which is made

incumbent on all and sundry, and through which creation is linked. The Holy Prophetobserved that verily Allah is He Who has created human beings from a drop of blood. Forthis end He has created the relations of the in-laws. Surely God is Omnipotent. His


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decrees are enforced according to His decisions. His judgements decree the fate, andevery fate is governed by an appointed time. Every appointed time is pre determined.Over and above this, God can obliterate or keep intact whatever He likes. The originalrecord of all this is with Him. After these introductory remarks the Holy Prophetdeclared:

"Now in obedience to the Will of God I perform the marriage ceremony of Fatima withAli, and ask you to bear witness that I have given Fatima in marriage to Ali against a

dower of 400 pieces of silver coin. May God create love between the pair, bless them,purify their offspring, make their progeny a mine of wisdom, and a source of God'sblessing and solace to the believers in faith. "

The Holy Prophet ended the Khutba by asking for the forgiveness of God for himself andfor the Muslims.

Ideal Marriage

According to all accounts that have come down to us, the marriage of Ali and Fatima wasan ideal marriage. It was a union of two great souls. Hafsa, a daughter of Umar and latera wife of the Holy Prophet wrote some verses highlighting the greatness of the pair. Shesaid: Fatima is superior to womankind in the world; she is the lady whose face shines asthe full moon; she is the bride whose groom excels all in Scholarship.

According to some authors Ali was twenty-one years old at the time of marriage, whileFatima was sixteen years old. According to my research the date of the birth of Ali is tobe placed around 599 C.E. and on this basis he was 24/25 years old at the time ofmarriage. Fatima was born around 604 C.E. and on this basis she was 19/20 years old at

the time of marriage. There appears to be a tendency with the writers of old to underestimate the ages of persons particularly women. In most of the books, for example, it is

said that at the time of her marriage with the Holy Prophet, Ayesha was a child barelynine years old. Ayesha was more or less of the same age as Fatima or very nearly so,and was well within her teens at the time of her marriage.

Undoubtedly the marriage of Ali and Fatima was an ideal marriage as the marriage wasperformed by the Holy Prophet in accordance with the will of God, it could not beanything but an ideal marriage. As an ideal marriage it should have been a happymarriage. In this context two aspects of the case need special consideration. One is theeconomic factor and the other is the temperamental factor.

The economic aspect of the matter is that all writers of old are unanimous on the pointthat Ali was very poor. In his book Ali, the Superman, Dr. Ata Mohyuddin observes that

Ali was extremely poor, and the young couple were obliged from the first, to live fromhand to mouth. It is observed that often days passed without any fire being lit in theirhearth. It is further observed that his bed sheet was so small, that if he covered hishead, his legs remained uncovered, and if he covered his legs his head was exposed theaccount provides that Fatima had to work too hard. She did not have the wherewithal to

wash her clothes which were blackened and soiled on account of dust and dirt. Theshoulder on which she carried pitchers of water from the well was swollen, and thehands with which she worked the handmil1 to grind corn were often covered with

blisters. There is a story that she requested the Holy Prophet to give her a maid slave toassist her, but he turned down the request. According to another story Ali hired himselfas an ordinary manual laborer. One day he hired himself as a laborer to draw water fromthe well for a date per bucket. He drew sixteen buckets when his hands were blistered.

He was given sixteen dates which he took to the Holy Prophet and both of them hadtheir meal of these dates. I have long pondered over the question of the poverty of Aliand even the Holy Prophet. It appears to me that such accounts are highly exaggerated,


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and remote from the truth. I have prayed to God to show me light whereby I couldascertain the truth. Islam is not a religion for the next world alone; it is a religion for thisworld as well. Islam does not favor accumulation of riches and the hoarding of wealth,but it does not commend poverty either. It stands for the middle course marked neitherby richness nor by poverty. The Holy Prophet before an ideal Prophet had to set anexample in this respect. As such while the Holy Prophet could not be very rich, he could

not be poor either. Islam stands for simplicity and austerity but simplicity and austerityare not another name for poverty. How could Allah permit his beloved to starve. Whenthe Muslims migrated to Madina, Ansars shared all their resources with the Muslims.Under the circumstances how could the Ansar permit Ali and Fatima the beloved

daughter of the Holy Prophet to live from hand to mouth on the verge of starvation. Aliand Fatima were after all human beings, and how could they be happy when they had tostarve for days. When selecting husbands for their daughter even ordinary persons take

steps to insure that their daughter is married in a family which is quite well off. This is aparental obligation, and it is unbelievable that the Holy Prophet would have married hisbeloved daughter to a person who had no source of income. The Holy Prophet marriedhis two daughters to Othman, one after the other, and Othman was the richest personamong the Quraish. The Holy Prophet could not discriminate between his daughters by

marrying two daughters to a very rich man, and marrying the daughter whom he lovedmost to a man who was extremely poor. Ali was the greatest warrior of the age. He was

also the greatest jurist, grammarian and scholar of the age. When the Muslims set up apolity at Madina it was an obligation on the part of the State to provide means ofsustenance for Muslims according to their qualifications and utilize their services in theinterests of the State. Under the circumstances the accounts that Ali was very poor arenot correct.

It appears that there were some temperamental differences between the husband andwife. Ali is said to be hot tempered while Fatima was cool-headed. It is related that oneday Ali picked up a quarrel with Fatima, Fatima felt aggrieved and she went to the HolyProphet to complain of the conduct of Ali. Ali followed her and hid himself behind a wall

to listen what transpired between the Holy Prophet and Fatima. The Holy Prophetadvised Fatima to have patience and submit to her husband. When Ali saw the HolyProphet later, the Holy Prophet counseled him to be kind to his wife. Due to the wise

counsels of the Holy Prophet, both Ali and Fatima succeeded in making adjustmentswhich insured mutual happiness. Hasan, their first child was born in 625 C.E. andHusain, the second child was born in 626 C.E. The Holy Prophet had great love for Hasanand Husain and treated them as his own sons.

Ali and the Jews

In the original accounts that have come down to us there is no mention of the activitiesof Ali with reference to the Jews. The silence of the authorities in this respect does not

mean that Ali was inactive, and he took no part in the cold war that prevailed betweenthe Muslims and the Jews. The Jews boasted of their superior knowledge and argued

that as Muhammad (peace be upon him) was illiterate he could not be a prophet of God.Ali was the most learned scholar among the Muslims, and it appears very probable thatAli met the arguments of the Jews at intellectual level, and exposed their perfidies andtransgressions during the course of history. Ali was a prominent poet as well, and we willnot be far from the truth when we say that Ali composed verses vindicating Islam. Islamis a missionary religion, and when the Muslims had established a polity at Madina, theytook steps to convert the unbelievers and the people of the Book to Islam. As Ali was the

most eloquent person among the Muslims, excepting the Holy Prophet, it appears thatAli played a prominent role in propagating the message of Islam. In spite of the generalhostility of the Jews to the Muslims, Ali succeeded in converting some of the Jews to

Islam. The Holy Prophet as the Head of the State, had to adjudicate on disputes amongthe people, including the Jews. Because of his great learning and vast legal knowledge,


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Ali assisted the Holy Prophet in settling the disputes. Certain persons in Madina hadaccepted Islam for considerations of self-interest and expediency. Such persons led byAbdullah b Ubayy owed nominal allegiance to Islam. These hypocrites and dissemblersaimed at the subversion of Islam from within. The Holy Prophet made Ali responsible forkeeping a watch on the activities of the hypocrites. The Jews aided and patronized thehypocrites in violation of the terms of the agreement between the Muslims and the Jews.

Ayesha and her Necklace

While returning from the campaign against Banu Mustaliq an incident took place whichcast its shadow onthe future course of Islamic history. Each time the Holy Prophet went on a campaign,one or two of hiswives accompanied him, and the decision was always taken by the drawing of lots. Onthe Banu Mustaliqcampaign, Ayesha accompanied the Holy Prophet. She traveled on the back of a camel ina closed litter.

On the way to Madina the returning army followed by its long procession of supplies,captives andthousands of beasts after travelling throughout the night broke camp at dawn. Ayesha

left her litter tosatisfy a natural need and returned to her camel. Back in the litter she noticed that shehad lost hernecklace of Yemenite agates. Returning in her footsteps she sought the necklace forsome time, and atlast finding it, returned to the caravan. But the spot was deserted and the caravan hadleft. The camel

rider seeing the litter closed, and thinking that it was occupied had placed it on thecamel and departedwith it. Ayesha called aloud but no one responded to her call. She decided to lie there

covering herselfhoping that some one would come to fetch her. Soon she fell asleep. "We belong to Godand to Him wereturn" fell on the ears of Ayesha and she awoke with a start. A young man stood thereholding a camelby its tether. The young man Safwan bin Muattal following the army in the rear noticed ayoung womansleeping in the desert, and upon approaching her recognized her as the wife of the Holy

Prophet. Ayeshaquickly covered herself with a veil, Safwan adjusted the camel's saddle-girth, and madeit kneel. Ayeshamounted the camel. Holding the beast by the bridle, Safwan took the road to Madina.

After a long andtiring journey, Ayesha caught up with the army at noon. The arrival of Ayesha attendedby a young man

caused some rumors in the camp.

Back in Madina, the calumnies of the slanderers gained publicity. Safwan swore that inhis lifetime he had

never touched a woman. Ayesha fell sick. She realized that the behavior of the Apostleof God towardsher had changed. She went to the house of her father. Amidst sobs, Ayesha asked hermother "Mother,

what story are the people relating about me". Her mother replied, "do not be distressed.

By Allah, there isnot a handsome and noble woman whom her husband loves, but has other wives besides


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her, that suchtales are bandied about". This did not console the young lady. She knew no rest, and hertears did notcease to flow. The Holy Prophet consulted his friends about divorcing Ayesha. Umar saidthat he wascertain that the hypocrites were speaking lies. He added, "By reason of God not allowing

a fly to settleupon your blessed skirts, because it alights also on impure things, how then God wouldnot preserve youand your name from a worse defilement". The other Companions advised the Holy

Prophet to keep hisexalted mind at ease, for they were certain that God would cause the innocence of theyoung lady to

become manifest. Ali was of the view that there was no dearth of women for the HolyProphet andAyesha could be divorced even though she was innocent.

The Revelation

One day, Ayesha was sitting in the house of her parents and was weeping when the Holy

Prophetappeared all of a sudden, and after the usual salutation spoke to his wife, "O Ayesha ifyou are innocent,God will come to your help; if you are guilty repent, and ask forgiveness". Ayesha saidthat she had towait till God cleared her of the insinuation for He alone was her witness. Before the HolyProphet could

leave the house of his father-in-law, the signs of divine revelation manifestedthemselves on the HolyProphet. His mother-in law placed a cushion under his head and covered him with a

Yemeni cloak. Whenthe revelation was over, drops of perspiration trickled down his face. He smiled and said,"Glad tiding toyou Ayesha, God the Most High has exculpated you, and borne witness to yourinnocence". Ayeshathereafter returned to the house of the Holy Prophet and those who had slandered werepunished.

Bitterness between Ayesha and Ali

This incident led to some bitterness between Ayesha and Ali. Ali had not levied any

charge againstAyesha. He only said in a casual way that she could be divorced even if she wasinnocent. The grievanceof Ayesha was that Ali should have defended her like Umar. The Holy Prophet had great

love for Ayeshaand that became a matter of some jealousy with others. It appears that even Fatima hadsome grouse onthis account. The Holy Prophet offered her the advice: "If your father loves a person,

why should you notlove that person as well."

Ali's operations


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Ali was commissioned by the Holy Prophet to undertake an expedition against the BanuSa'ad and Banu Bakr. It was not to be a regular battle it was to be a tactical raid to becarried with utmost secrecy, with a view to springing a surprise on the enemy. Ali had asmall force of a hundred persons with him. The force did not march in battle array, theparty traveled as a caravan of traders in order to avoid suspicion. A series of forcedmarches conducted at night to conceal the movements brought the party in close

proximity to Fidak, some distance from Khyber. Here they came across a scout of theenemy. He was taken captive. He volunteered to lead Ali and his men to the camp ofBanu Saad and Bakr provided he was given amnesty. Ali gave him the amnesty, and thescout led Ali and his men to Fidak where the forces of Banu Sa'ad and Banu Bakr were

camping oblivious of any danger. Ali and his men made a surprise attack on the enemy.The attack was so unexpected, sudden and furious that the forces of the tribes could nottake a stand and were scattered after suffering heavy losses. So intense was the

slaughter that the tribes laid down arms and sought for terms. The tribes undertook toremain faithful to the Muslims and offered a tribute of 100 camels and 2000 goats. Aliand his men returned triumphant to Madina where the Holy Prophet appreciated theirservices. One fifth of the booty was placed at the disposal of the Holy Prophet as stateshare, and the rest of the animals were distributed among the men who had participated

in the foray.

Some points about the operations

In the various accounts that have came down to us, there is some confusion about thisoperation. In some accounts Banu Sa'ad and Banu Bakr are stated to be Jews. This doesnot appear to be correct. They were Arab tribes who were pagans. In some accounts it issaid that Fidak was conquered as a result of these operations. This is not correct. Fidakwas conquered a year later after the conquest of Khyber. In the Atab annals this

operation is referred to as Sariya Fidak. The term Sarya is used to denote the operationsin which the Holy Prophet did not participate in person. Such operations which were ledby the Holy Prophet himself were known as Ghazwas. The Sarya-i-Fidak neutralized the

Arab tribes of Banu Sa'ad and Banu Bakr and paved the way to the Hudaibiya pact of theMuslims with the Quraish of Makkah.

The siege of Taif

From Autas, the Muslim forces set out for Taif. The people of Taif were a proud peoplewith traditions of bravery. They were a rich people and considered themselves to besuperior to all other tribes in Arabia. Sometime in 619/620 C.E., when the Holy Prophet

was persecuted by the Quraish of Makkah, he had visited Taif to seek refuge. The peopleof Taif had maltreated the Holy Prophet and had turned him out of their city. Now thetables were turned. The people shut themselves in the fort and could not face the

Muslims in the open. The Holy Prophet decided to lay a siege to the city. The Muslimcatapults began to throw stores in the fort, but this did not lead to any tangible result.The Muslims tried the Tetsudou device whereunder a group of soldiers shielded by acover of cowhide advanced to set fire to the gate. The enemy threw red-hot scraps of

iron on the Tetsudou which made it ineffective. The siege dragged on for two weeks butstill there was no sign of the fall of the fort. The Holy Prophet had other business toattend, and he could not afford to remain at Taif for long. The Holy Prophet raised thesiege and returned to Makkah.

Operations of Ali

The Holy Prophet commissioned Ali to undertake operations against the tribes in the

neighborhood of Taif who were feudatories to Taif. Ali began his operations by destroyingthe idols in the temples in the neighborhood of Taif. The principal god of the people was


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Al lat, and when Ali destroyed this idol, he was involved in a skirmish with the men ofBanu Khusbam. Shahab, the leader of Banu Khusham and a formidable man enjoyingreputation as a great warrior challenged Ali to a duel. Ali killed Shahab. With the murderof their leader Shahab and the destruction of their god Al lat, the men of Banu Khushamwere unnerved. They laid down arms and accepted Islam. The other tribes in theneighborhood of Taif were similarly subdued and converted to Islam.

Conversion of the people of Taif to Islam

With the conversion to the tribes around Taif to Islam, the position of the people of Taifbecame precarious when Ali advised them to accept Islam, they agreed to send adeputation to Makkah to wait on the Holy Prophet. The deputation agreed to acceptIslam, but they wanted that a respite should be allowed to them to continue to worshiptheir idols for some time. They begged for a respite for one year, and reduced the periodof grace to six months, three months, and one month. The Holy Prophet rejected thedemand outright on the ground that he who had accepted Islam could no longer worshipthe idols. The deputation next asked for exemption from prayers. This demand was

rejected on the ground that there could be no faith without prayers. Thereupon thedeputation urged, "then at least give us exemption from the payment of Zakat". TheHoly Prophet rejected the demand on the ground that Zakat was a compulsory levy. The

Holy Prophet made the deputation bear in mind that Islam was a matter of faith; if onehad faith in Islam he had to accept all that Islam had enjoined. There could be nocompromise in the matter of the injunctions of Islam. The Holy Prophet made themrealize that it was open to them not to be converted to Islam, but once they acceptedIslam, they had to strictly follow all the commandments of Islam. The deputationunderstood the position, and accepted Islam for themselves and for the people of Taifwhom they represented.

Return to Madina

With the conversion of the people of Taif to Islam, the mission of Makkah wascompleted. The Holy Prophet and his companions performed the "Umrah", and thereafterreturned to Madina. Eight years earlier the Muslims had escaped from Makkah andoppressed people, now they were the masters of Makkah, Madina, and a greater part of

Arabia. That was verily a positive proof of the truth of Islam. Thus God fulfilled all thepromises that He had made with His prophet.

The Declaration of Discharge

Abu Bakr as Amirul Hajj

In 631 C. E the Holy Prophet sent from Madina, a delegation of three hundred Muslims to

perform the Hajj. Abu Bakr was appointed as the leader of the delegates. Abu Bakr hadthus the honor of being the first 'Amir-ul-Hajj" in the history of Islam

The Revelation

Some time after Abu Bakr and trio party had left for the Hajj, the Holy Prophet receivedrevelation about the regulation of the Hajj, and the ordering of relationship between the

Muslims and the infidels. It is related that when the revelation came some onesuggested to the Holy Prophet that he should send news about the revelation to AbuBakr. The Holy Prophet said only a man of his own house could proclaim the revelation.

Ali


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The Holy Prophet summoned Ali, and asked him to proclaim the revealed verses to thepeople on the day of sacrifice when they assembled at Mina. Ali went forth on the HolyProphet's slit-eared camel, and soon overtook Abu Bakr and his party. When Ali joinedthe party, Abu Bakr wanted to know whether he had come to give orders or to conveythem. Ali said that he had not come to replace Abu Bakr as "Amir ul-Hajj", and that hismission was merely to convey a special message to the people on behalf of the Holy

Prophet,

Declaration of Discharge

At Makkah on the occasion of the Hajj, Abu Bakr presided at the Hajj ceremony while Aliread the verses of the revelation which came to be known as the Declaration ofDischarge. According to the Declaration it was provided that henceforward the Muslimswere discharged of all obligations that they had undertaken with the non-Muslims. Alltreaties or agreements with them were to be no longer effective. Henceforward the non-Muslims were not to be allowed to visit the Kaaba or perform the Hajj. New rules for theperformance of the Hajj were proclaimed. No one was to circumambulate the Kaaba

naked. Polytheism was to be no longer tolerated a grace period of four months was laiddown and thereafter all agreement with the non-Muslims were to stand as abrogated.

Importance of the Declaration

The Declaration of Discharge was really the declaration of the victory of Islam, thevictory of the truth over falsehood. The battle between the truth and falsehood began in

611 C.E., with the proclamation of the prophethood of the Holy Prophet. This battle waswaged for twenty years in one form or the other. It came to an end with the Declarationof Discharge signifying the ultimate victory of Islam from the day this proclamation was

made. A new era dawned in Arabia. Henceforward Islam alone was to be the faith of theArabs.

Ali's claim to the caliphate

In some quarters, an argument is advanced to the effect that as on this occasion thedeclaration of discharge was read by Ali, while Abu Bakr was the Amir ul Hajj. This

established the precedence of Ali over Abu Bakr, and as such when on the death of theHoly Prophet, Abu Bakr became the Caliph in disregard of the claim of Ali he was ausurper. I will discuss this aspect of the matter in detail in a later part of the book. Herewe may pause to consider two questions, firstly why was the proclamation read by Aliwhen Abu Bakr was the Amir ul Hajj, and secondly whether this established theprecedence of Ali over Abu Bakr and others in the matter of caliphate. The revelationsemanating from God were particularly sacrosanct, and these had to be proclaimed to the

people either by the Holy Prophet himself or by some member of his house in whom hehad particular confidence. The choice of Ali to read the proclamation was not relevant tothe question of succession. The question of succession had to be considered in thecontext of other considerations. This did not establish the precedence of Ali over Bakr for

Ali did not replace Abu Bakr as Amir ul Hajj. Ali's role was merely confined to thedelivering of a special message. This established the precedence of Ali over otherHashimites with whom the Holy Prophet had blood relations. Ali was the first among theHashimites to profess Islam, and among the Hashimites he remained closest to the HolyProphet.

Expedition under Ali

After the failure of three expeditions, the Holy Prophet ordered the fourth expeditionunder the command of Ali. In the earlier expeditions, the Muslim army had failed to


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reach the stronghold of the tribe, and had to withdraw without actual confrontation withthe tribe. Ali changed the tactics. Instead of following the established route, Ali led theMuslim army along mountainous tracks, where they hid themselves during the day, andadvanced during the night. Ali succeeded in beating the Banu Ramla at their own game.After several nights march the Muslim army reached the stronghold of the tribe, andmade a surprise attack on the enemy. The mountainous tribe could never imagine that

the men of the plains could ever penetrate through the depth of the mountains andreach their stronghold. In the confrontation that followed many persons of the tribe werekilled, and they were ultimately forced to surrender. Ali returned triumphant to Madinacarrying an immense booty, and a large number of prisoners. Heretofore all battles that

the Muslims had fought had been fought in the plains. The battle against Banu Ramlawas the first battle that the Muslims had to fight in mountainous terrain. The Muslimshad no experience of fighting in hilly tracts, and as such the first three expeditions

undertaken by the Muslims against the people of the hills failed. The people of the hillswere expert in guerilla warfare. They could hide in the mountain recesses and fall uponthe Muslims in surprise at all odd hours. By these tactics the Banu Ramla warriorsprevented the Muslims from reaching their main settlement in the hills. Ali was the firstMuslim General to score a victory in a mountainous territory. When Ali returned

triumphant to Madina, the Holy Prophet and the Muslims welcomed him a few milesoutside the city. The Holy Prophet appreciated the services of Ali in superlative terms.

According to the Shiite traditions, the Holy Prophet addressed Ali on this occasion in thefollowing terms: "O Ali ! If I were not apprehensive that the Muslim community wouldexaggerate your deeds like the Christians who extolled the achievements of Jesus Christby ascribing divinity to him. I would have narrated the superiority of your character

today in such a way that wherever you went, the people would have worshipped thevery dust of your feet".

The mission of Ali

The Holy Prophet thereafter commissioned Ali to proceed to Yemen. A force of three

hundred soldiers assembled at Quba outside Madina. The Holy Prophet tied the turbanon the head of Ali with his own hands, and handed him the standard. The Holy Prophetprayed to God to enlighten the mind of Ali, to make his tongue eloquent, to make histalk impressive, and to make his conduct a source of attraction for others. Although Aliproceeded to Yemen at the head of a force, he was commanded not to use force. Theforce was only meant for defense in the case of any attack. It was a voyage ofenlightenment. People were to be converted to Islam not by an appeal to arms but by anappeal to their hearts.

Strategy of Ali

On reaching Yemen, Ali realized that the people of Yemen were very much under theinfluence of the Christian priests and Jewish Rabbis, and unless such priests and Rabbiswere effectively tackled, there was little likelihood of any success with the common men.The Christian priests and Jewish Rabbis were proud of their religious knowledge. They

challenged Ali to a debate. Ali was used to fighting duels with his adversaries in the caseof battles, now he had to fight an intellectual duel. The first challenge came from aChristian priest renowned for his learning and piety. A public debate was held. TheChristian priest advanced arguments in favor of the perfection of Christianity, and of

Jesus Christ being the son of God. It was observed that in such circumstances therecould be no question of another faith. Ali smashed these arguments one by one. Hequoted from the Christian scriptures wherein Jesus Christ had himself spoken of theadvent of a prophet after him. Ali took pains to explain that Islam acknowledged JesusChrist as a prophet, but did not regard him as a son of God. He maintained that Islam

was a perfected form of all previous religions. The debate lasted for several days and at


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last Ka'ab admitted the superiority of Islam and was converted to Islam. With hisconversion many Christians were also converted to Islam.

The Jewish Rabbis felt concerned at the success of Islam. They challenged Ali to a publicdebate. This debate lasted for several days, and ended in the victory for Islam. Some ofthe Jewish Rabbis accepted Islam, and following them many Jews accepted Islam.Thereafter Ali spread his men throughout the length and breadth of Yemen to carry themessage of Islam to the people. When the people came to know that their priests and

rabbis had accepted Islam, they lost the will to resist Islam and accepted the new faithwillingly. Within a few months most of the people in Yemen were converted to Islam.These people came to look to Ali as a great hero.

And Allah rewarded the Thankful

The effect of the address of Abu Bakr was eletrica1. It appeared as if the people did notknow of this verse of the Holy Quran until Abu Bakr had recited it.

According to the will of the Holy Prophet Ali and Abbas washed the body of the HolyProphet and prepared it for burial. The Holy Prophet was buried in the chamber ofAyesha, where he had died. Ali was overwhelmed with grief at the death of the HolyProphet. He expressed his grief in heart reading verses. He said: "May my parents be

sacrificed on you, O Messenger of God, with your death things have come to an endwhich could not end thus with the death of any other person. The process ofprophethood has come to an end. News of the Unseen have ceased, Revelations fromAlmighty have ceased. You gave a message of hope to the people. You showed them theright path. You are the savior of humanity. You established a new order. You establishedequality among the people. You ushered in a revolution. You were a guide when alive;you would be a guide even after death. If you had not ordered patience in hour of grief I

would have shed tears of blood from my eyes. The entire world is dark without you. Your

passing away is a great loss but we resign ourselves to the will of God. From God youcame, and to God you have returned, May your soul rest in peace in proximity to God."

Ali's reaction to the election of Abu Bakr

In Nahj-ul-Balagha we come across certain passages which indicate the reaction of Ali to

the election of Abu Bakr as the Caliph. When the meeting at Saqffa Bani Saada wasbrought to the notice of Ali by some one, Ali asked him as to what did the Ansar ask for.He was told that the Amir should be elected from them, and if the Muhajireen alsodesired the office, one Amir might be elected from the Ansar and one from the

Muhajireen. Thereupon Ali said, "Was it not brought to their notice that the Holy Prophethad willed that after him the Ansar should be well treated, and if they made any lapse it

should be overlooked. Ali was asked how did this will establish that the Caliph was not tobe elected from among the Ansars. Ali said that if the Ansar were to have the caliphatethere was no point in asking those in power to pay due regard to the Ansars did notarise. Ali then inquired as to what argument the Muhajireen had advanced in support oftheir claim to the caliphate. He was told that the Muhajireen based their claim on the

ground that they belonged to the tree to which the Holy Prophet belonged. Thereupon Alisaid, "What a pity that they look to the tree, but overlooked its fruit". The implicationwas that the Muhajireen should have offered the caliphate to him and not to anyoneelse.

In a passage in Nahj-ul-Balagha, Ali is said to have expressed his reaction to the election

of Abu Bakr in the following terms: "The son of Abu Qahafa has assumed the mantle of

the caliphate forcibly although he knew that I was essential for the caliphate as thehandle is for the grinding stone which moves it. In Islamic learning I excel everyone


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else, and the caliphate should have come to me as a matter of course. At this disregardof my right I became confused. I began to think whether I should assert my claim, orwhether I should practice forbearance and patience after a good deal of thinking Idecided to adopt the later course".

Fatima Zahra

Death of Fatima

Fatima took the death of the Holy Prophet to heart, and she passed away in early 633 CE, barely six months after the passing away of the Holy Prophet. She was only twenty-nine years old at the time or her death. Her marriage lasted for a short period of eight ornine years only. During this period she gave birth to five children, three sons and twodaughters. Her three sons were Hasan, Husain, and Mohsin. Mohsin died during infancy.

Hasan was about seven years old while Husain was about six years old at the time of herdeath.

Ali's grief at the death of Fatima

Ali was much grieved at the death of Fatima. Her passing away so soon after the deathof the Holy Prophet was a great blow for Ali. He felt disconsolate. He poured his grief in

the following elegiac verses: "Afflicted as I feel with many a worldly disease. Verily, menin this world would suffer as long as they live in this vale of tears and sorrow. Verily,after the demise of the Holy Prophet, Fatima's loss has shown, that friends do not last

forever. " In this hour of grief, Ali addressed the soul of the Holy Prophet in the followingterms: "O Messenger of God please accept my greetings, and the greetings from yourdaughter who has hastened to join you. O Prophet of God my patience has beenexhausted at her death. I am most distressed and disconsolate. At your death Isuppressed my grief with great difficulty. I laid you in the grave with my own hands.

Verily, from God you came and to God you have returned. We all belong to God and toHim we have to return. Fatima was a trust with me, which has now been taken away

from me. My state of affairs will be told to you by your daughter. Please do inquire aboutme from her. Much time has not elapsed to your death, and the memory of your passingaway is very much alive with me. I pay my greetings and respects to you. As I canexpect relief in my distress only from you. If I move away from your grave, it will not be

because of any indifference on my part and if I stay here, it will not be so because ofhaving lost confidence in the promise that God has made to those who are patient." Aliused to visit the grave of Fatima frequently, and used to write verses to express hisgrief. On one occasion he wrote: "O thou grave, to thee I resort for paying homage to

thee. "O thou, the repository of my beloved Thou answer me not. "O thou beloved tomb,what ails thee Thou respondeth not to my supplications. Art thou, out of humor, Because

of the love that I bear thee. "

Married life of Ali and Fatima

The married life of Ali and Fatima did not extend beyond nine years. It was a happyunion. Nevertheless there were differences between the pair occasionally. Once, afterhaving quarreled with Fatima, Ali went to the mosque, and lay on bare earth. That madethe Holy Prophet call Ali by the appellation of Abu Turab, Father of the earth. At one

time, Ali entertained the idea of marrying a daughter of Abu Jahl. Fatima complained tothe Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet felt annoyed, and while addressing the people in themosque he said that verily Fatima was part and parcel of him. If Ali wanted to marry thedaughter of Abu Jahl, it was open to him to do so, but he should divorce Fatima in the

first instance for the daughter of the Prophet, and the daughter of Abu Jahl could not liveunder the same roof. Thereupon Ali dropped the idea of marrying the daughter of Abu


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Jahl. There were some temperamental differences between Ali and Fatima, and the HolyProphet always controlled Fatima to fall in line with the wishes of her husband for afterher father he was the best of men.

Fatima Zahra-assessment

Fatima Zahra is regarded as one of the four perfect women of all times, the other threewomen being: Asiyah the wife of the Pharaoh of Egypt who mothered Moses; Mary, themother of Jesus Christ; and Khadija the first wife of the Holy Prophet of Islam, and themother of Fatima Zahra. One day Fatima inquired of the Holy Prophet why she wascalled Fatima. He said that it was so, because fire would not touch her soul. She wasalso called 'Batool", because she devoted herself all out to Allah and fervently followedthe dictates of the Holy Prophet (pbub). Fatima resembled the Holy Prophet incountenance, in elegance of speech, and in general deportment. Whenever Fatima paid avisit to the Holy Prophet, he would kiss her on the forehead, and would make her sit onhis seat. He would say, "Fatima is part of me, and whoever angers her angers me, andwhoever injures her injures me. " It was the customary for the Holy Prophet that when

he went on a journey the last person of whom he took leave was Fatima, and when hereturned from the journey the first person he would see was Fatima. When the HolyProphet was about to die, Fatima visited him. The Holy Prophet whispered to her

something that made her weep. Then he again whispered something and Fatimalaughed. She was asked what made her weep and laugh in succession. She did notdisclose the secret but later. After the passing away of the Holy Prophet. Ayesha askedher about it and she said that she had wept on being informed of the impending end ofthe Holy Prophet, but laughed on his assurance that she was to join him soon.

When the Holy Prophet died, the whole world became dark for her. She wept andmourned the death of the Holy Prophet in pathetic verses She said: It is not wondrousthat whoever smells the fragrance of Muhammad's tomb will never smell anotherperfume. Destiny hurt me with bereavement. So sad, and so dark, that if it had fallen onthe days they would have been turned into eternal nights".

Ali's Oration on the Death of Abu Bakr

Ali's Oration

When Abu Bakr died in 634 C.E., Ali delivered an oration which was not only a faithful

summing up of the character and personality of Abu Bakr, but was also a masterpiece oforatory. The speech has been preserved, and quoted hereunder in full Mercy of God onyou O Abu Bakr! You were an affectionate Companion and friend of the Prophet of Allah,a source of joy to him, and who knew his secrets, and enjoyed the privilege of being

consulted by him. You were the first person to embrace Islam. You had the purest faith,and your belief in Islam was unshakable. Of all, you feared Allah most, and you were thesource of the greatest advantage to his faith. You had been with the Prophet more than

any one else, and your love for Islam was superior to others. A blessing to theCompanions, you were the best of associates, master of many virtues, excelling othersin accomplishments, and superior to all in position. You resembled the Holy Prophetmore than any other person in the uprightness of character and conduct and in kindness

and excellence. Your rank was noble, and your position sublime and you enjoyed thegreatest confidence of the Prophet. May God reward you for your services to Islam andthe Prophet. For the Prophet you were like his very sight and hearing. You corroboratedthe truth of his message at a time when everybody belied him; and so you were called"As-Sadiq' (the veracious) by Allah in His revelations. He says, 'The one who came with

the Truth and the one who corroborated the truth. The One who came with the Truthwas Muhammad, and the one who corroborated the Truth was Abu Bakr. You supported


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him when others had deserted, and you remained firm in helping him in misfortuneswhen others had withdrawn their support. In the days of hardship you were his bestcompanion; you were the second of the two, and his companion in the Cave. You werethe person on whom God conferred tranquillity of mind. You were the only companion ofthe Prophet in his migration to Madina, and you were his Caliph among his followers, andin the religion of Allah. You discharged the functions of the Khilafat in a most excellent

manner at a moment when the people had taken to apostasy, and exhibited muchfirmness in enforcing the commands of Allah as had never been exhibited by the Khalifaof any other prophet. You rose to the occasion when your colleagues showed lassitude,and you became bold when they exhibited weakness. You were strong when they were

weak. You retained your adherence to the ways of the Prophet when others had deviatedfrom them. You were his true Caliph with no dispute or difference, although this gaveoffense to hypocrites, and umbrage to the infidels. You stuck to the commands of Allah

when others showed cowardice. You remained firm when others went astray. You hadthe lowest voice, and the highest distinction. Your conversation was most salutary, andyour reasoning was forceful. Your silence was longest in duration, and your speech wasmost eloquent. You were bravest among men, You were well informed about matters.Your action was most dignified. You were the leader of the believers. You came towards

the faith when others were away from it. Indeed you acted 1ike a kind father to thebelievers, and your filial affection made them your children. You bore the heavy burden

which they could not, and you preferred to do what they had omitted. You preservedthat what they had lost. You taught them what they knew not. You took the risk whenthey wer

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