The Great Virtues of Imam Ali (Part 1)

In praise of Ali (a.s)

He said: Abu Ja’far Muhammad b. Ali b. al-Hussein eported to me from his father, who reported from Muhammad b. Yahya al-Attar, who reported from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa, from Ali b. Al-Hakam, from Hisham b. Salim, from Sulaiman b. Khalid, from Abu Abdullah Ja’far b. Muhammad al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, from his forefathers, peace be upon them, who said:

The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, told Ali, peace be upon him: "O Ali, you are from me and I from you. Your friend is my friend and my friend is Allah’s friend. And your enemy is my enemy and my enemy is the enemy of Allah.
O Ali, I am at war with the one who fights you and at peace with one who is at peace with you. O Ali, you have a treasure in the Heaven and you are the master of its both sides. O Ali, you are the divider of heaven and hell. None shall enter the heaven unless he has recognized you, and you have recognized him! And none shall enter hell unless he has rejected you and you have rejected him.

O Ali, you and your descendants shall be on the heights (al-A’araaf) on the Day of Judgment, recognizing the sinners by their marks, and the believers by their signs. O Ali, the believers would not have been distinguished, after I have departed, if you were not there."

Ali (a.s) on the pious companions of the Prophet

And with the first chains of narration from Ali b. Mahzyar, from (Muhammad) b. Sinan, from Abu Muaz al-Suddiy, from Abi Arakah who said:

Once, I prayed behind Ali b. Abi Talib, peace be upon him, the morning prayers in this mosque of yours. Then (after the prayers), he turned to the right with evident gloom over his face. He stayed that way, till the sun rose over the lancer long wall of the mosque of yours, which was then not as high as it is now. Then turning to the people he said:

"By Allah, the companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, endured discomfort on such a night, passing it between prostration and standing for the prayers. As if they heard the roar of hellfire in their ears. And in the morning, they rose covered with dust and pale, with callous skin, resembling the knees of the goat between their eyes. When Allah was remembered in their presence, they quivered the way a tree shakes on a windy day, and tears rolled from their eyes till their clothes were wet."

He said: Then he (i.e. Ali) rose, saying: "By Allah, it seems that people have now become heedless."

Thereafter, he (i.e. Ali) was not seen in a cheerful temperament, till the event at the hands of Ibn Muljam took place - may Allah curse him (i.e. Ibn Muljam).

^{* By: Sheikh al-Mufid}