 The
commander of faithful, the father of eloquence, the caretaker of the
orphans, the shelter of the needy and the perfect of all humans after
Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw). Born in the House of Allah, Holy Kaaba, and
martryed in the House of Allah, Masjid-e-Kufa. He died on the 21 st day of Ramadan 40 A.H. and buried in Najaf al-Ashraf (Iraq).
On the eve of the martyrdom of Imam Ali (as) we take this opportunity to extend our heartiest condolences to Imam of the time, Imam Mahdi (as) and the Muslim world. Oh Allah (SWT) help us live the life of Imam Ali (as)!
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) had prophesied his departure from this
world several days before hand, and on the day of his martyrdom he
mysteriously desired his sons Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain (as) to offer
their morning prayers in the house and not to accompany him as they
usually did to the mosque of Kufa. When Imam Ali (as) was leaving his
abode, the household birds began making a great noise and when one of
Imam Ali's servants attempted to quieted them, Imam Ali (as) said,
"Leave them alone, for their cries are only lamentations foreboding my
death."
On the 19th of the month of Holy Ramadan (Mah e Ramzan) of the year 40 A.H, Imam Ali (pbuh)
came to the mosque in Kufa for his morning prayers. Imam Ali (pbuh)
gave the call for prayer (Azaan) and became engaged in leading the
congregation. Abd-al-Rahman ibn Muljam pretending to pray, stood just
behind Imam Ali (pbuh), and when Imam Ali (pbuh) was in a state of
prostration, Abd-al-Rahman ibn Muljam dealt a heavy stroke with his
sword, inflicting a deep wound on Imam Ali's (pbuh) head.
This was the time when Imam Ali (as) uttered his famous words : "Fuzto warab-il-Kaaba" - "By the Rab of Kaaba, I am successful".
Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had prophesied the assassination of Imam
Ali (pbuh) and his issues. Regarding Imam Ali (pbuh) Holy Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) had said, "O Ali! I see before my eyes thy beard dyed
with the blood of thy forehead."
They assassinated Imam Ali (pbuh) at his finest time - the hour of
standing before Allah, the Exalted, during a prayer of submission, in
the best of days, while fasting during the month of Ramadan (Mah e
Ramzan); during the most glorious Islamic duties, while preparing to
wage jihad, and in the highest and most pure divine places, the Mosque
of Kufa.
May joy be to Amir al-Muminin Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (pbuh) and a blessed afterlife!
The crime of assassinating Imam Ali (pbuh) remains one of the most
cruel, brutal and hideous, because it was not committed against one man,
but against the whole rational Islamic leadership. By assassinating
Imam Ali (pbuh), they actually aimed at assassinating the message, the
history, the culture and the nation of Muslims embodied in the person of
Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (pbuh). In doing so, the Islamic nation lost its
guide of progress, and at the most wondrous opportunity in its life
after the Holy Prophet (pbuh).
Imam Ali (pbuh) suffered from his wound for three days, and He (pbuh) passed away on 21st of the month of Ramadan (Mah e Ramzan) at an age of 63 years.
During these three days, he (pbuh) entrusted his son, Imam Hasan
(pbuh) with the Imamate of guiding the nation ideologically and
socially. During those three days, as during all his life, he never
ceased remembering Allah, praising Him, and accepting Him and His
ordinance.
Likewise, he continued giving pieces of advice and directions leading
to good, pointing to the right, defining the way to guidance,
explaining the course for deliverance, calling for the observance of
Allah's ordinances, and warning against following one's ill desires and
set-backs from not carrying out the divine message.
The following is one piece of advice offered to his sons, Imam Hasan
(pbuh) and Imam Hussain (pbuh), as well as to his people, the nation and
coming generations:
"I advise you to fear Allah, and not to run after (the pleasure of)
the world, even if it may run after you. Do not be sorry for anything
from it which you have been denied. Say the truth and act for (Allah's)
reward. Be an enemy of the oppressor, and be a helper of the oppressed."
"I advise you, my children, my household and all those who may
receive my message, to fear Allah, to arrange your affairs well, to
maintain good relations among yourselves, for I have heard your
grandfather (pbuh) saying: 'Good relations are better than prayer and
fasting in general.'"
"(Fear) Allah when handling matters of orphans. Do not let them starve, nor allow them to be lost as long as you are there."
"(Fear) Allah in respect to your neighbors, for they were the trust
of your Prophet (pbuh). He went on asking us to take care of them, so
much that we thought he would make them heirs (of our heritage)."
"(Fear) Allah in respect to the Holy Quran, (take care that) no one may excel you in following its tenets."
 "(Fear) Allah in respect to prayer, as it is the pillar of your religion."
"(Fear) Allah in respect to your Lord's House (Kaaba), do not forsake
it so long as you live, because if you do you will not be looked upon
with respect."
"(Fear) Allah in respect to Jihad, fight with your wealth, your lives and your tongues, in the way of Allah."
"Have mutual liaison and give-and-take. Beware of turning your faces
from, and of renouncing, one another. Do not abandon bidding good and
forbidding evil, lest vicious people may overrule you, and then in such a
case, your invocations will not be responded to (by Allah)."
Then he said: "O, Banu Abdul Muttalib, certainly I do not want you to
wade through the blood of the Muslims, crying: Amir al-Muminin was
murdered. You certainly kill for me no one but my killer."
"Wait till I die by this stroke of him (Abd-al-Rahman ibn Muljam),
then strike a single stroke against him, and do not disfigure his body,
for I had heard the Holy Prophet (pbuh) saying: 'Avoid mayhem even with a
rabid dog.'"
Such was the heroic end of this great man! The loss to the Mission
and the nation was the gravest after the loss of the Holy Prophet
(pbuh).
By the death of Imam Ali (pbuh) the nation lost:
A heroism that had become the song of the time;
A courageous history that has never dreamt of its like;
A wisdom no one can fathom, save Allah;
A purity, the like of which was only in the prophets;
An abstinence from the pleasures of life that could be attained only by the nearest to Allah;
An eloquence such as to be the echo of Book; and
A jurisprudence, and a thorough knowledge of the laws of religion,
that made him the 'gateway of the city' of the Prophet's knowledge, and
the authority to whom the Islamic nation referred in all its affairs.
Peace be upon Amir al-Muminin the day he was born, the day he was martyred on his altar, and the day he shall be raised alive.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment