Ali ('Ali ibn Abi Talib) (Hazrat Ali) 600-661
Cousin and adopted son of the Prophet Mohammad,
husband and companion of Fatima, and father of Hassan
and Hussein. Regarded as the first Iman by the Shi'as (lit:
followers of Ali).
The Nahjul Balagha (Peak of Eloquence)
contains sermons, letters and sayings attributed to Ali, and
is regarded by many Shi'a Muslims as being second only to
the Qur'an.
His breath-taking poetic description of the
Creation reflects the aspect of God the Creator:
"When Almighty created the openings of atmosphere, expanse of firmament and strata of winds, He flowed into it water whose waves were stormy and whose surges leapt one over the other. He loaded it on dashing winds and breaking typhoons, ordered them to shed it back as rain, gave the wind control over the vigour of the rain and acquainted it with its limitations. The wind blew under it while water flowed furiously over it… The Divine dimensions of his personality and mission are also clearly visible in his sermons: Act constantly, set yourself an objective, persevere in your action, be patient and fear the Lord. You already have an objective; dedicate yourself to its achievement. You have a point of reference to which you have to refer. Islam has a goal, try to reach it. Accomplish your duties towards the Lord, and fulfil the obligations He has set upon you. On the Day of Judgment, I will be the Witness for the prosecution and the defense and I shall bring the proofs."
During the ministry of Mohammad, Ali served as
commander of the Prophet’s armies and was always at the
forefront of battles. The Prophet himself praised Ali as the
greatest of all heroes. His impressive sword Dhulfikar can still to be seen in the Topkapi museum in Istanbul
and is an untarnished testament to his military prowess.
As a statesman, Ali was the archetype of a benevolent
leader, demonstrating fairness and generosity in all
circumstances yet chastising bad conduct wherever it
manifested itself. Above all, Ali was known for
his uncompromising morals and the transparent and fair
use of collective money and state assets. While Islamic
scripture is full of accounts relating the praise Mohammed
bestowed upon Ali, the most memorable has to be:
“I am
the City of Knowledge and Ali is its Gate.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi has stated that Ali was an incarnation of Brahmadeva (1977-0222, 1977-0321, 1988- 0814) and later incarnated as the thirteenth century Maratha saint, Sopandev, brother of Jnaneshwara:
Ali came on this earth, he was the incarnation of Brahmadeva, and his other incarnation was Sopandev. You can go to Pune, you can see the temple of Sopandev there. (1988-0814)
Bibliography
Peak of eloquence (Nahjul balagha): sermons, letters
and sayings of Imam Ali, translated by Askari Jafery
(USA: Islamic Seminary for World Shia Muslim
Organization, 1977)
http://www.al-islam.org/nahj
Barnaby Rogerson, The heirs of the prophet
Muhammad, and the roots of the Sunni-Schia schism
(London: Little, Brown, 2006)
'Hazrat Ali material on the Ismaili Web'
https://www.amaana.org/ali/hazratali2.htm
from John Noyce, Saints, Sufis and Yogis, 3rd ed, Vol.1 (Lulu Press, 2015)
