The Rank of Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ Explained by the Final Prophet ﷺ

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The Rank of Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ Explained by the Final Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

Awais Yameen Attari

Countless hadith describe the virtues and merits of this noble soul; the beloved Prophet’s son-in-law; the consort of Sayyidatunā Fāṭimah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا; the father of our masters Ḥasan and Ḥusayn رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهما; and the fourth rightly-guided Caliph of the believers, Sayyidunā ʿAlī al-Murtaḍā رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ.

Imam Ahmad رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه noted:

‫مَا جَاءَ لِاَحَدٍ مِنْ اَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ الـلّٰـهِ صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنَ الْفَضَائِلِ مَا جَاءَ لِعَلِیِّ بْنِ اَبِی طَالِبٍ رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُ 

The number of narrations about the virtues of Sayyidunā ʿAlī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ are more than any other Companion.^[1]

We present eighteen hadith about the merits of Sayyidunā ʿAlī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, hoping that love for him will fill our hearts and souls.

1.   Perpetual brotherly bond:

The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said to Sayyidunā ʿAlī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ:

اَنْتَ اَخِی فِی الدُّنْیَا وَالْآخِرَۃ

“You are my brother in this world and in the Hereafter.”^[2]

2.   He is from the beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم:

The Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم informed Sayyidunā ʿAlī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ:

اَنْتَ مِنِّی وَاَنَا مِنْك

 “You are from me, and I am from you.”^[3]

3.   The door to knowledge:

اَنَا مَدِیْنَةُ الْعِلْمِ وَعَلِیٌّ بَابُھَا

“I am the city of knowledge, and ʿAlī is its door.”^[4]

4.   The door to wisdom:

اَنَا دَارُ الْحِکْمَةِ وَعَلِیٌّ بَابُھَا

“I am the house of wisdom and Ali is its door.”^[5]

5.   Helper and friend:

مَنْ کُنْتُ مَوْلَاہُ فَعَلِیٌّ مَوْلَاہُ

“For whomever I am his friend, ʿAlī is also his friend.”^[6]

6.   The Prophet’s deputy in Madinah:

Sayyiduna Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqās رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ related: The Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم set out for the Expedition of Tabuk and appointed Sayyidunā ʿAlī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ as his deputy in Madinah. Sayyidunā ʿAlī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ asked: “Are you leaving me with the women and children?” The Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied:

اَلَا تَرْضٰى اَنْ تَكُوْنَ مِنِّیْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُوْنَ مِنْ مُّوْسٰى اِلَّا اَنَّهٗ لَيْسَ نَبِیٌّ بَعْدِیْ

“Are you not pleased that you are for me as Hārūn عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم was for Mūsā عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم? However, there will be no prophet after me.”^[7]

7.   The measure of faith and hypocrisy:

لَا يُحِبُّ عَلِيًّا مُنَافِقٌ وَلَا يُبْغِضُهٗ مُؤْمِنٌ

 “A hypocrite does not love ʿAlī, and a Muslim does not hate him”.^[8]

8.   Recipient of the Prophet’s supplication:

اَللّٰهُمَّ وَالِ مَنْ وَالَاهُ وَعَادِ مَنْ عَادَاهُ

“O Allah! Befriend the person who befriends ʿAlī and take as an enemy the person who takes him as an enemy.”^[9]

9.   To love ʿAlī is to love the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم:

مَنْ اَحَبَّ عَلِيًّا فَقَدْ اَحَبَّنِيْ وَمَنْ اَبْغَضَ عَلِيًّا فَقَدْ اَبْغَضَنِيْ

“The one who loves ʿAlī loves me, and the one who hates ʿAlī hates me.”^[10]

10.   Talking ill of ʿAlī:

مَنْ سَبَّ عَلِيًّا فَقَدْ سَبَّنِي

“Whoever insulted ʿAlī, ˹it is as though˺ he has insulted me.”^[11]

11.   Loving for ʿAli what he صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم loves for himself:

يَاعَلِيُّ اُحِبُّ لَكَ مَا اُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِيْ وَاَكْرَهُ لَكَ مَا اَكْرَهُ لِنَفْسِيْ

“O Ali! I love for you what I love for myself, and I dislike for you what I dislike for myself.”^[12]

12.   Paradise longs for him:

اِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ تَشْتَاقُ اِلٰی ثَلَاثَةٍ عَلِيٍّ وَعَمَّارٍ وَسَلْمَانَ

“Paradise longs for three people: ʿAli al-Murtaḍā, ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir, and Salmān al-Fārisī.”^[13]

13.   Lofty rank

اَلْحَسَنُ وَالْحُسَيْنُ سَيِّدَا شَبَابِ اَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَاَبُوهُمَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُمَا

“Ḥasan and Ḥusayn are the leaders of the youth of Paradise, yet their father is superior to them.”^[14]

14.   Treasure in Paradise:

يَاعَلِيُّ اِنَّ لَكَ كَنْزًا مِّنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَاِنَّكَ ذُو قَرْنَيْهَا

 “O Ali! You have a treasure in Paradise, and you are a possessor of both of its sides.^[15]

15.   The greatest judge:

اَقْضَاهُمْ عَلِيُّ بْنُ اَبِی طَالِبٍ

“The best judge from my nation is ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib.”^[16]

16.   ʿAlī and the Quran:

عَلِيٌّ مَعَ الْقُرْآنِ وَالْقُرْآنُ مَعَ عَلِيٍّ لَنْ يَّتَفَرَّقَا حَتّٰى يَرِدَا عَلَىَّ الْحَوْضَ

“Alī is with the Qurʾān, and the Quran is with Ali. They will not separate, until ˹finally˺ they will arrive ˹together˺ at my fountain ˹of Kawthar˺”.^[17]

17.   An exclusive merit:

يَا عَلِيُّ لَا يَحِلُّ لِاَحَدٍ اَنْ يُجْنِبَ فِي هَذَا الْمَسْجِدِ غَيْرِي وَغَيْرَكَ

“O ʿAlī! It is not permissible for anyone to be in a state of ritual impurity in this masjid except for you and me.”^[18]

18.   The truth follows him wherever he goes

رَحِمَ اللَّهُ عَلِيًّا اَللَّهُمَّ اَدِرِ الْحَقَّ مَعَہٗ حَيْثُ دَارَ

“May Allah have mercy upon ʿAlī. O Allah! Let the truth go with him wherever he turns.”^[19]

Death

On the 17^th or 19^th Ramadan, 40AH, Sayyidunā ʿAlī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ was attacked while on his way to lead the Fajr prayer. He رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ succumbed to the wounds on the 21^st night of Ramadan.^[20]

Allah Almighty have mercy upon him and forgive us without accountability for his sake.

اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْن  صَلَّی اللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلہٖ وَسَلَّم

Note: To learn more about the life of Sayyidunā ʿAlī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, read the booklet of Maktaba-tul-Madinah “Miraculous Wonders of Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ”.