Imam Ali Ibn Abi Taleb The Fourth Caliph By Mohammad Redha Former librarian of Fouad the 1st Library Interpreted by Mohammad Agha DAR al-KOTOB al-ILMIYAH Beirut· Lebanon ~I ,la..I UO,,&..o 4ül ... ~J~I ~1.j,J.l. e-+"'" ' __,} "r ,JI..,.-i...1~ ~.J aUtJ - ~'.JM ~I 4J.~1 .,!a ~ ...i ·IJ.!-o ...i ·)l.olS ~~I ~ 'J~! "r ":"liI.,1a..-1 .,.k ~~ ... r."";~1 .,l&-..Jla.J! s1~lS :~ ~UJI aol$. ~!~".. Copyright © All rights reserved Exclusive rights by DAR a1-KOTOB ... ILMIYAll Bei..... Lebanoa. No partof this publication may be translated, reproduced, distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a data base or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. ~1 . (.411 j tb öü....,J - .....;;.J~~ ..:.ßl. ~~ 'i,?~1 t;~ .~)JI J,o; : ..:)J-'.tll ..( ~1\ \ l ,·mi - n1\H - nH~A : ~ljJ ~ ..J~ - ":'J~ \\ - ~n1 ;.l.:!~ JJ~ DAR al-KOTOB al-ILMIYAH Beirut - Lebanon Address :Rarnel al·Zarif, Bohlory sI., Melkart bldg., Isi Floore. Tel. &Fax: 00 (961 I) 60.21.33 . 36.61.35 ·36.43.98 P.O.Box : 11 ·9424 Beitut- Lebanon ISBN 2-7451-2532-X 90000> l 7S2745 125323 http://www.al-ilmiyah.com.lb/ e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful Introd uction of interpreter As the writer of this book said "Moslems have so far longed for a sufficient and good biography that covers the life of Imam Ali Ibn Abi Taleb, may Allah .honours hirn; his efforts, virtues, caliphate speeches, sayings and wisdoms. And,as an interpreter of this book, I cannot but say that MO'hammad Redha, gave a very good account of the life and activities of Imam Ali, ior whom may Allah's good pleasure is prayed. In addition to his pioneering role in Islam, as the first one te embrace Islam as f-.eliigion, Imam Ali, may Allah honour hirn, offered great sacrifices and fought for the victory of Islam since he was a young and continued to fight deviatioaist trends inside Islam; and he was a true example of the Moslem who devotes hirnself and his life for the religion of Islam and its sublime message. He was raised by the Prophet, to whom may Allah's blessings and peace be granted, and gained from his great morals and manners. He also kept the Prophetie traditions by heart. He was the son in law of the Messenger of Allah's to whom may Allah's Blessings and peace be granted, husband of Fatima, daughter of the Messenger of Allah, and the father of the two pious sons, AI-Husan and AI­ Hussein. Imam Ali, may Allah honours hirn, was austere, ascetic and pious. There qualities are the qualities of great men of religion who care- for the afterworld not for the world, for the pleasure of Allah, the great and the Almighty, not for the pleasure of creatures. All the treasures of the world could not tempt hirn. He remained faithful in the purity of Islam and the truth of the sublime message of the Prophet 5 Mohammed, to whom may Allah's Blessings and peace be granted. Imam Ali's mirac1es are known for all Moslems and his courage is also known. He is actually the man of courage and wisdom. Prophet Mohammed, to whom may Allah's Blessings and peace be granted, said: "Ali is part ofme and I am part of Ali." And He also said: "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate." The life of Imam Ali, may peace be upon hirn, was full of energetic and lively events and he was very energetic and lively. He was able to live up to the level of those events to protect Islam from division and disunity. The disputes and conflicts during and before his caliphate and the way with which he dealt them are evidence of his wisdom and care to rescue Islam and Moslems from the dangers that threatened them from the very inside. He never sought division, but unity and cohesion inside Islam and among Moslems. He never sought power for the sake of power, he rather sought to set Islam and Moslems on the right course which is based on both the Glorious Quran and al-Sunna (The prophetie tradition). Imam Ali, may Allah honour hirn, was a true faithful in the message of Islam and a strong advocate of the Quram and prophetie tradition. He believes the faithful is powerful through his deciseveness and leniency, through his belief and conviction; care and knowledge; knowledge and patience, reverence and worshipping, endurance and poverty, patience and hardship, demand in honest manner, activity with righteousness and through shunning greed. "0, son! Make yourself ascale between others and yourself. Like for others as you like for yourself. And hate for others what you hate for yourself. Don't do injustice as you don't like to be done injusticel. This is the recommendation of Imam Ali, may peace be upon hirn, to his sons... This book, which is the book of the fourth orthodox Caliph, is a rich account of events and episodies that show an important period in Islam, It is the period of tragedies and sorrowful developments that tore Moslems and Islam into apart. Imam Ali, may Allah honour hirn, struggled to unite Moslems on the basis of truth and right and he paid his own life for this great cause; as his two sons Al-Hasan and Al- Hussein, for whom may Allah's good pleasure is prayed did after hirn Mohammad Agha 6 In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Introduction Praised be Allah and fnay Allah's Blessings and peace be granted to the Messenger of Allah. So and so: This is the biography of the Commander of Be1ievers, Ali Ibn Abi Taleb, for whom iii ay Allah's good pleasure is prayed, the fourth orthodox caliph, the cousin of the Messenger of Allah, his foster son and his son in law. He is the father of the two pious sons al-Hasan and al-Hussein. He was the first one to embrace Islam and the most precedent in faith. He is a prominent man of religion and the most courageous and a holy war fighter. He is the Imam of the pious, the exam ple of the ascetics, the greatest outspokesman and the most hard working scholar who fought for the victory of Islam since his early age till his demise. He took part in all battles and raised their banners and did well, and he was true and honourable. He fought polytheists and defeated enemies. His reputation is a torch of guidance, faith and loyalty till the end. Moslems have so far longed for a sufficient and good biography that covers his life, efforts, virtues, Caliphate, speeches, sayings and wisdoms, without boring deliberation or distorting summarization. Praise be to Allah, who guided me into the right path and helped me succeed to highlight this good work. And I beseech Allah, to whom belong Majesty and Might, that this work gives the benefit to history and knowledge as well as to all Moslems. 0, Allah, I beseech you; the Almighty Allah, Be He exalted, Amin. Mohammad Redha 7 All Ibn Abi Taleb For whom May Allah's good pleasure is prayed The Fourth Caliph The history of his life (600 - 661 A.D.) Ali Ibn Abi Ta1eb Ibn Abdu1-Mutta1eb, the cousin of the Messenger of Allah, to whom may Allah's Blessings and peace begranted, was born in the year 600 A.D. in Mecca. The mother of Ali is Fatema, the daughter of Assad Ibn Hashem. His title is «Abu al-Hasan». He was the son-in-Iaw of the Messenger of Allah, to whom may Allah's Blessings and peace be granted. He was the husband of Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet and the father of the .two pious sons. He was the first Hashemite to have been born for two Hashemite parents. He was the fourth Ca1iph and the first Hashemite Caliph. He was one of the men of religion and wise scho1ars. He also was one of the most courageous men and a prominent ascetic known at his time. He was outspoken. When he embraced Islam he was still a boy. He became Moslem at 10. He was younger thanJa'far, Aq'ee1 and Ta1eb. The Prophet, to whom may Allah's Blessings and peace adopted hirn before reve1ation descended to hirn because Quraish was hit by a severe crisis. Abu Ta1eb had many chi1dren but with no money. The Messenger of Allah, to whom may Allah's Blessings and peace be granted, took Ali with hirn and took care of hirn. Al-Abbas took Ja'far and took care of hirn to make it easy for Abu Ta1eb to take car of other chi1dren. Ja'far remained with A1-Abbas till he embraced Islam and 1efthis horne. He immigrated to Medina, took part in Badr, Uhod, a1-Khandaq batt1es. He also attended at Radwan p1edge of allegiance and all other events with the Messenger of Allah, to whom may Allah's Blessings and peace be granted, 9 except Tabuk. The Messenger of Allah, to whom may Allah's Blessings and peace be granted, entrusted him to take care of his family. He did weIl, showed great acts and left great impression, The Messenger of Allah, to whom May Allah's Blessings and peace be granted, granted hirn the banner of Islam in many battle, The Messengers of Allah also made brothers to hirn twice.