The Attributes of Imam Ali (peace be upon him)

The Attributes of Imam Ali (peace be upon him)
Ali's Imamate Verification

The Attributes of Imam Ali (peace be upon him)
Sayyed Ali Khamenei

I want to refer to a characteristic of The Leader of the Believers (peace be upon him) which I shall express as his stable character.

The Leader of the Believers (peace be upon him) was a wonder in his personal composure. He possessed diverse and contrasting attributes in such a beautiful manner…

In what follows, I shall present some of these contrasting attributes which he possessed.

Compassion and Tenderness
Usually, compassion and tenderness do not agree with strictness and firmness, but the affection, tenderness and compassion of the Prince of Believers reached the highest limit which rarely any human can attain. There are many people who help the needy and care for impoverished families. However, Imam Ali son of Abu Taleb (peace be upon him) was the only person who fulfilled this deed during the time of his rule, ability, and power; it was his constant habit- and not only once or thrice! Not only did he offer financial aid, but he would also go in person to families- speak with the elderly, sit with the blind, and treat the young tenderly. He felt content in their presence, admitted happiness into their hearts, and offered them aid.

That was the mercy and compassion of the Prince of the Believers.

He would go to a widow's home, kindle fire for her furnace, bake bread for her, and feed her children with his blessed hand. In order to make those destitute children happy, he would play with them, bend down and carry them on his back, and walk [in such a manner]. He would make them merry in their cottage.

This compassion and tenderness in his personality was the reason why a prominent figure in that era said: "I saw Ali (peace be upon him) calling orphans and feeding them honey, to the extent that some of his companions said: 'I wish I were an orphan!' "

Strictness and Determination
[On the other hand], concerning the issue of Nahrawan, a group of fanatics with misperception became determined to undermine his rule under feeble excuses. He counseled them, gave them proof, sent them letters and intermediaries, and offered them help but to no avail. At the end, even when the two armies faced one another, he advised and guided them but he realized that it was useless so he decided to be strict. He gave the banner to one of his adherents and said: "Whoever joins under this banner until tomorrow will be safe, but the rest will [face] the sword."

They were twelve thousand in number, and eight thousand joined under the banner. Even though they had been hostile, took an [opposing] stance, had been determined to fight, and cursed Imam Ali (peace be upon him), he forgave all of that and [considered] that if they withdrew from the fight they were free to go wherever they wished.

Four thousand remained who were insistent on fighting. When he saw their persistence to fight, he told them that not ten of them would survive. He fought them and thus the Battle of Nahrawan took place, and they were killed in great numbers.

This is how Imam Ali (peace be upon him) [acted] in the face of a malicious group which followed a deceitful course of action.