In the Name of Allah, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful

And bless be upon Muhammad and his pure Household, and may Allah's curse be on his enemies from now until the Day of Resurrection! And there is no power or strength except for the Lofty Glorious Allah.

The Wise Allah has stated in His Glorious Book:

وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَاتِ وَإِقَامَ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاء الزَّكَاةِ وَكَانُوا لَنَا عَابِدِين ^[1]

  ‘… and We appointed them Leaders who guided [the people] by Our command, and We inspired them to perform good deeds, and to keep up prayer and pay the due welfare tax – and they kept worshipping Us, (Qur’an: 21/73).’

Allah, the Honourable and Exalted, states: “In the previous lesson, we discussed about the certainty of Allah’s guidance, and we drew conclusion from the Verse of the Qur’an. Thus, now we refer to a part of the above Verse ‘…and We inspired them to perform good deeds’ and then we discuss on it by the power and the strength of Allah.

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Meaning of the Charity Revelation that is given to the Imams

In this phrase, Allah states:

يعجبني إحسانك وفِعلك الخير،

 “The essence of the charitable actions they did was through Our revelation.”

Now, consider these sentences what they mean: ‘That charity and the good deed you did for me, delighted me; the charity and the good deeds you did for me, will delight me in the future.’ As it mentions, the infinitive does not increase to it but it decreases it; and he says:

يعجبني ان تحسِن و ان تفعل الخير، يعجِبني الاحسان لك والفِعل لك

‘Delighted me the good deeds you acted, or, ‘delighted me your charity and your deeds.’

It is similar to the lawmaking Verses in the Qur’an, and the purpose of them is using the verbs in the future, those Verses have been emphatically used as:

‘… if you fast it is good for you, (Qur’an: 2/184), ^[2] وَأَن تَصُومُواْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ

and ‘… we ordered them to worship Allah, (Qur’an: 39/11), ^[3] أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ

and ‘… worship none but Allah, (Qur’an: 11/26),^[4] أَن لاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ اللّهَ

and ‘… stand up to pray, (Qur’an: 6/72).’ ^[5] وَأَنْ أَقِيمُواْ الصَّلاة

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Meaning of the genesis revelation  

In the above Verse He is not stating: ‘We inspired them to give in the charities,’ but He states: ‘The verbs that they fulfilled were the very inspiration of Ours.’

We inspired them the good deeds and they carried them out, as it is seen, the verb itself is the inspiration.

Therefore, it must be considered that how can a verb be ‘inspiration’; so to make it clear, we have to bring an example from the Qur’an.

Allah, the Honourable and the Exalted, sates:

 وَأَوْحَى رَبُّكَ إِلَى النَّحْلِ أَنِ اتَّخِذِي مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا وَمِنَ الشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ﴿68﴾ ثُمَّ كُلِي مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ فَاسْلُكِي سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلًا يَخْرُجُ مِن بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ فِيهِ شِفَاء لِلنَّاسِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ  يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴿69﴾ ^[6]

‘…and your Lord inspired bees to set up hives in the mountains, and in the trees and on everywhere, they may build. Then eat of all kinds of fruits and follow humbly along your Lord’s byways. [Then] from their bellies comes a drink with different colours, which is healing for men. In that, there is indeed a sign for the people who ponder, (Qur’an: 16/68-69),

Is the inspiration to the bee similar to the inspiration to the heart of the Prophet whereas the bee constantly receives the inspiration that: ‘make your beehive like this, live in this or that part, settle on that assigned flower, then, sit on this bud, do not sit on the bad smelling flowers?’ Or it is not so; Allah may have created this fair and delicate insect in such a way that all its activities are done by the will of Allah, and this innocent insect, without any desires, passions or meaningless wishes and self importance fulfills his duty according to what Allah has assigned for it; and moves towards its destination that it has been directed to. It flies from a branch of flower to the next according to it nature, it sucks the sweat smelling flowers p, gets the delicious sap and builds geometrical beehives here and there.

This kind of inspiration is called ‘the creative inspiration’, that is, Allah, in the state of the creation, has adjusted all their actions and silences, and without the external affair to evade them from the perfection path, they moves towards the blissful path without being push forward.

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The Charity Revelation to the Imams

The blessed Verse of the Qur’an says: “We inspired the act of the charities to the Imams, that is, all the approved actions they show are from Us, it is by Our Command, and their entities are with Us; thus, all their actions take place without any thoughts and selfish passions.

They do not look for good standing, and do not do a thing for the sense of carefulness and modesty, and for carrying out an action they do not fall in chimera vain so that to be obliged to fulfill it based on convenience – they have passed all these states. Their intentions are the Intention of Allah; their actions are done by their pure and without contaminated conscience, and without looking after benefits or rewards.

They are a type of people that their reward is the action itself they take; they do not expect any external payments for their rightful deeds.

This kind of act is Allah’s own act which, with the will of Allah, issues from their pure and bright hearts and illuminates the surroundings.

Therefore, it can be said that their acts are the aspiration of Allah.                

As long as a man’s eyes have not caught sight of the Beauty of Allah, and he has not gradually forgotten his being, but joining to Allah, he thinks all the activities and actions he fulfills are of his own. Certainly he does everything for the rewards and the final results. However, if he takes steps in the path of rightfulness, in the path of his Creator, then, by observing the power and the beauty of Allah and entirely forgetting his activities and actions, he does not feel of his being so that to do something for its reward or benefit. He always feels humble, being as soft as wax in the hand of the Supreme Power. It is because he has observed the Absolute Beauty the Unlimited Knowledge; he has seen his being as illusion and cannot do anything by his own; whatever he does is straight from a Rightful Source.

لا يزال العبد يتقرب إليّ بالنّوافِل حتّى أحِبّه فإذا احببته كنت سمعه الّذي يسمع بِهِ و بصره الّذي يبصر بِهِ و لسانه الّذي ينطِق بِهِ و ينه الّتي يبطِش بِها ^[7]  

An obedient worshipper, who performs the supererogatory performances and loves them, does not come to an end, because he loves the performance; he hears whatever he says, he sees his mind imaginations, he notices what his tongue says and whatever his hands do.

‘Anyone of My obedient worshippers, who fulfills the supererogatory performance and does extra prayers according to his desire he actually comes closer to me; he comes so closer to Me that I make friends with him. Then, when I choose his a My beloved; I becomes his ear through that he listens, I become his eyes through which he sees, and I become his hands by them he takes and holds things, (Wasaaeil Shiite).’ That is, in that states, he does not feel his ears but they are the channel through which Allah hears, and Allah sees by his eyes.

It is stated in this Verse:

وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللّهَ رَمَى ^[8]

‘…Thus, [Our Messenger], it was not you who killed them, but Allah killed them. And when you threw [pebbles at them], it was not you who threw, but Allah threw, (Qur’an 8/17).’

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The terms of the certainty of Imamate, the Imam’s overlooking his being means linking to Allah

The next Holy Verse also points at: ‘…Allah's hand rests above their hands, (Qur’an 48/10).’

يَدُ اللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ ^[9]

We deduce from this Verse: ‘…and We inspired them to perform good deeds, (Qur’an 21/73).’

وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَاتِ

that the Imam is one who has to overlook all his passions and to enter the real Unity, and by the existence of the universal Light and the appearance of that Holiness Exalted, and His being in the essence of all beings, he dissolves himself in the Blissful Being; since then, his speech and actions, and silence and motions, his sleeping and his wakefulness, his fighting and his peace is for Allah.

If one reaches at this position, by Allah’s permission, he has the merits to be the Imam, otherwise never. 

As the Imam teaches his followers, guides and calls them to him, he must be quite pure, chaste and perfect; one who has not abandoned his passions yet, if he becomes an Imam, he will lead all his followers to the sensual desires – it is clear that this guidance is not what Allah has commanded but it is an invitation to passions.

As the action of an Imam – with this characteristic is right – and also his word is the fact, he is a proof, because the right action and speech is the ‘proof’.   

Therefore, he must be followed and not to be found faults with, because finding faults with him means finding faults with the Right. A fault finder must refer to his conscience and find the faults inward him, because through his ignorance, he has not known the Imam and has accused the Imam to be guilty.

It is true that many people are good, honest and with the rightful actions, however, they have not tried to know their Imam – the state of the Imam is the highest degree.

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The Rising of Zeid was not by the Command of the Imam

In the ‘Ousoul-e- Kafi’, in the part of ‘proof’ of the Last Koleini, Ahwal ^[10] narrates that: ‘I entered the hideaway of Zeid Bin Ali Bin Al-Hussein upon him be peace as he was being chased by the spies of the Caliph, he told me:

‘O Aba Ja‘far, what is your opinion if a man of us rebels against the Caliph? Then, will you also rebel with him?’

To his question, I replied: ‘If one who rebels against the Caliph is like your father (the Holiness Ali Bin Al-Hussein) or your brother (the Holiness Imam Muhammad Baghir) I will rebel to help him.’

Ahwal says, Zeid told me: “I have decided to rebel and fight with these people, you too rise with me.”

I answered, ‘May I be made your sacrifice, I will not do so.’

Zeid said, ‘Do you like yourself more than us and refusing it?’

I answered, ‘No, I have no more than a soul, but the question is that if there exists an Imam and proof on the earth and this rebellion of yours is without his permission and command then, the people who are rising with you will perish, but those who do not rise are the victorious ones.However, if there is not an Imam and proof on the earth, then the people who rise with you or keep away are alike in rank and reward, it is because they have doe either by their own will – they have not done by the command of Allah.’

Zeid told me: ‘O Aba Ja‘far, I used to sit at the table-cloth by my father and he nourished me with the big morsels of food, he let the hot food get colder and then he fed me. He showed affection to me; how could he be pleased with me but not saving me from the Fire by nor introducing the Imam to me? Is it reasonable in his case introducing the Imam to you but not introducing him to?’

I told Zeid: ‘May I be made your sacrifice, due to his concern to you, and keeping you away from the Fire, yet he has not introduced the Imam to you! He was afraid that you might not accept it and enter the Fire. While he has informed me of that and has introduced the Imam to me so if I remain obedience to him and fulfill his command, I will find salivation, but if do not accept him, his father does not care if I enter the Fire.’

Then, I told Zeid: ‘May I be made your sacrifice, which of you is predominant, you or the prophets?’

Zeid answered: ‘But the prophets are predominant.’

I said: “Jacob told his son, Joseph:

 يَا بُنَيَّ لاَ تَقْصُصْ رُؤْيَاكَ عَلَى إِخْوَتِكَ فَيَكِيدُواْ لَكَ كَيْدًا ^[11]

‘…O my son, do not relate your dream to your brothers lest they may lay some trap for you, (Qur’an 12/5).’      

Why did Jacob not inform Joseph’s brothers from his dream? He kept it secret because he had excessive affection to his son, Joseph, and he knew that by revealing the secret of his dream they would kill him. Thus, similar to Joseph, your father was also very kind to you and withheld introducing the Imam to you; he knew that if he had told you that, you would not accept it and then you would enter the Fire.”

Zeid said: ‘By Allah, now that you told me these matters, I am also going to tell you that the Master of yours (the Holiness Imam Ja‘far Sadiq upon him be peace) told me in Medina: “You will be killed – they will hang you!” And there is a document with the Holiness within which my assassination is written.’

Ahwal says: ‘When I set out for the Hajj Pilgrimage, I reported our discussions to the Holiness Imam Ja‘far Sadiq upon him be peace.’

The Holiness said: ‘You carried out your duties and blocked the road all about him; you did not cut brief your discussing with him.’ ^[12]

Zeid Bin Ali Bin Al-Hussein upon him be was in the greatest dignity; he was well-known in the piety, ascetics, nobility, generosity and worshipping Allah. When he was martyred, the Holiness Imam Ja‘far Sadiq upon him be peace was very upset; he wept upon him and asked Allah’s forgiving for him – nevertheless, the status of the Imam beyond the imagination o Zeid.

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Both the Movement and the Repose of Imam is Correct 

Zeid’s patience came to an end against Mansour Dawaneghi’s deviations, and crimes and being so careless of the people’s future; that was the reason he could not tolerate it and rose against him.

However, Imam is one who is never out of patience or tired against the oppressions, as he is not flimsy in the heart, he does not bloodshed until it is for the benefit of the Islam and the Muslims. He is never affected by his emotions or by the infusions of the people about him. He has not feeling of taking revenge on someone and he does not take action to satisfy his own lust and passions, but all his affairs are based on the guidance of the people and leading them to the uppermost of the salivation and perfection; in this way, both his fighting and peace are based on good intention, and either of them is for Allah – so his movement and calmness are Allah’s and he must be followed.    

The position of the Imamate is being responsible for the epistle of Allah and guiding the people to Him; no one deserves this position but one who has vast Divine Knowledge and is open minded and tolerant; his soul has been illuminated and has gone through all the Divine tests.

The Commander of the believers upon him be peace   was the duplicate of the Messenger of Allah and the Messenger Bless be to him and his Descendants had wholly accepted it.

Of course, this acceptance was not superficial but it was based on logic, by knowing his status, and his wide talent, and the merits of that Holiness – these attributes drew the attention of the Messenger to him.

According to the stipulation of the Holy Qur’an, in the Verse of ‘Cursing’, the Messenger of Allah was taken for that Holiness; it is why Fakhr Razi confessed it by writing it on the foot-notes of the same Verse.

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The narratives concerning the unity of Messenger and Ali’s souls

Qandouzi says: ‘The owner of Al-Manaqib quotes the Imam Ja‘far Sadiq upon him be peace  through his father who quotes of his grandfather Ali Bin Hussein upon him be peace  who had narrated that, the Holiness Imam Mojtaba Hassan Bin Ali upon him be peace  in his sermon has said:

When the pagans and the Deniers among the people of Najran did not accept the invitation of my grandfather and rejected him, Allah stated to my grandfather:

[O Messenger], say:

َ[مَنْ حَآجَّكَ فِيهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ] فَقُلْ: تَعَالَوْاْ نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءنَا وَأَبْنَاءكُمْ وَنِسَاءنَا وَنِسَاءكُمْ وَأَنفُسَنَا وأَنفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَةَ اللّهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِينَ ^[13]

فأخرج جدّي عليهِ السّلام معه مِن الانفسِ أبي، و مِن البنين أنا و اخي الحسين، ومِن النّساء فاطِمة امّي، فنحن اهله و لحمه و دمه و نفسه، و نحن مِنه و هو مِنّا ثمّ قال:

And say:‘…now come on, and let’s call our children and your children, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves together; then let us pray earnestly and call for the curse of Allah upon the liars, (Qur’an: 3/61).’

‘Therefore, my grandfather Bless be to him and his Descendants took my father, my sons, my brother Hussein, and from the women my mother, Fatima, with him and left!

‘So we are the family of the Messenger of Allah, we are his flesh, his blood and his soul – we are from him and his from us.’

It is narrated by Rayyan Bin Salt, in the book which is called ‘Oyoun Akhbar Ar-Reza’ that the Holiness Imam Reza upon him be peace said:

عني اللَّهِ مِن انفسنا نفس عليٍّ و ممّا يدلّ علي ذلِك قول النّبي صلّي اللَّهِ عليهِ و آلِه و سلّم لِتنتهينّ بنوا وليعه اولابعثنّ اِليهِم رجلاً كنفسي يعني عليّ بن أبيطالبٍ فهذِهِ خصوصِيّةٌ لا يلحقهم فيه بشرٌ و قدتقدم في الباب الخامس ^[14]

‘the phrase ‘of Our Soul’ in the blessed Verse, means Ali’s soul, and the good reason for that is that the Messenger of Bless be to him and his Descendants said:

‘Bani Waliat must stop his disobedience otherwise I will send someone, whose soul is of my soul, to fight him;’ by saying ‘whose soul is of my soul,’ he meant Ali ibn Abī Tālib.

Thus, this is the character Ali and no one among the people can have such position.

Then, Ahmad Hanbal, in his Masnad, has narrated of Abdullah Hantab that the Messenger of Bless be to him and his Descendants said to some people who had come to visit him:

لتسلّمنّ او لابهثنّ اِليكم رجلاً كنفسي ليضرِبنّ اعناكم، و ليسبيّنّ ذراريكم، و ليأخذنّ اِموالكم، فالتفت اِلي عليٍّ، و أخذ بِيدِهِ و قال: هو هذا مرّتين ^[15]

 ‘You have to surrender, otherwise, I will send someone, whose soul is of my soul, to behead you, to capture your children and take away your properties.’ Then, he turned to Ali ibn Abī Tālib, and took his hand in his hand and twice said: ‘this is the very same man!’

He also says: ‘This narration has been narrated by Mowaffaq Bin Ahmad Kharazmi Makki.

In his Mosnad, Ahmad Bin Hanbal says:

قال: لِتنتهينّ يا بني وليعه، اولأبعثنّ اِليكم رجلاً كنفسي يمضي فيكم أمري، يقتل المقاتلةِ، و يسبي الذّريّةِ، فالتفت اِلي عليٍّ، فاخذ بِيدِهِ و قال هو هذا مرّتين

‘The Messenger of Allah Bless be to him and his Descendants stated: ‘O Bani Waliat, stop disobedience and aggression or I will send someone, whose soul is of my soul, to carry out my command against you, to fight with you and capture your children.’

’ Then, he turned to Ali ibn Abī Tālib, and took his hand in his hand and twice said: ‘this is the very same man!’ ^[16]

It is also narrated in the Book of Mishkat that Habish Bin Jenada, May Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah Bless be to him and his Descendants had stated

عليٌّ مِنّي و أنا مِن عليّ و لا يؤدّي عنّي اِلّا أنا اوعليّ

‘Ali is with me and I am with Ali, and one can carry my task except Ali and myself.’

Then, he says Termizi has also narrated this story, so has Ahmad Bin Hanbal quoted it from Habish Bin Janada; then, Termizi says, ‘This story is authentic and very strange.’

And so has Ibn Majeh narrated it from Ibn Janada.^[17]

He says that in Mishkat it is narrated by Imran Bin Hasin, May Allah be pleased with, the Prophet Bless be to him and his Descendants had stated:

اِنّ عليّاً مِنّي و أنا مِنه و هو وليّ كلّ مؤمِنٍ بعدي رواه الترمذي ^[18]

‘Indeed, Ali is from me and I am from Ali, and he the Master of all the believers after me.’ (Rawah At-Termizi)

And Hamyawi also in his book says it is narrated of the Commander of the believers that he said:

قال: اهدِي اِلی رسول اللَّه صلّي اللَّه عليهِ و آلِه قنو موزةٍ يقشر الموز بِيدِهِ، و جعلها في فمي فقال قاءـلٌ: يا رسول اللَّه: اِنّك تحِبّ عليّاً؟

قال: اوما علِمت أنّ عليّاً مِنّي و أنا مِن عليّ ^[19]

 ‘Some people brought a bunch of bananas for the Messenger of Allah as a gift. The Holiness took it then peeled one and put it in my mouth in small pieces; a questioner asked: “O, Messenger of Allah, do you like Ali?” The Holiness answered: “Do you not know that Ali is from me and I am from Ali?”’

And also it is said that Ahmad Bin Hanbal has narrated in his Mosnad from Habish Bin Janada who had said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah Bless be to him and his Descendants saying:

عليٌّ مِنّي و أنا مِنه و لا يؤدّي عنّي اِلّا أنا او عليٌّ ^[20]

‘Ali is from me and I am from him, and no one carries out my heavy duties except Ali and me.’

It is also said in the Book of Manaqib by Atiah Bin Sa’d Oufi, from Makhdouj Bin Zbir Zehli who had said:

نزلت آية اصحاب الجنّةِ هم الفاءـزون

‘The Verse of ‘the people of Paradise are the victorious ones’ was revealed, and we asked:

فقلنا يا رسول اللَّه من اصحاب الجنّةِ؟ا

‘O Messenger of Allah, who are the people of Paradise?’

He answered:

 قال: من اطاعني، و والي عليّاً مِن بعدي و اخذ رسول الله صلّي الله عليهِ و آلِه بِكفّ عليٍّ فقال: إِنَّ عَلِيّاً مِنِّي وَ أَنَا مِنْهُ فَمَنْ حَادَّهُ فَقَدْ حَادَّنِي وَ مَنْ حَادَّنِي فَقَدْ أَسْخَطَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ.

 ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا عَلِيُّ حَرْبُكَ حَرْبِي وَ سِلْمُكَ سِلْمِي، وَ أَنْتَ الْعَلَمُ بَيْنِي وَ بَيْنَ أُمَّتِي

قال عطِيّه : سألت زيد بن أرقم عن حديث مخدوج قال: اشهِد الله لقد حدّثنا بِهِ رسول اللهِ

 ‘Whoever obeys me and Ali, my Guardian, after me.’ Then, the Messenger of Allah Bless be to him and his Descendants took Ali’s hand in his hand and said: ‘Indeed, Ali is from me, and I am from him; so whoever quarrels with him, he actually quarrels with me – and he who quarrels with me, he makes Allah, the Honourable and Exalted, angry.’

Then, he stated: ‘O Ali, to fight with you means fighting with me and the passivity with you is the passivity with me. You are the banner of the Guidance and the sign of the leadership between my nation and I.’

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The Superiorities of the Commander of the Believers

Atiah, who had heard this story from Makhdouj Bin Zabir says: ‘I asked Zeid Ibn Arqam, who was one of the followers of the Messenger of Allah, about this narration, Zeid said: “By Allah, I heard this story from the Messenger of Allah himself.’^[21] And also Qandouzi in Al-Manaqib says: ‘I heard from Jabir Ibn Abdullah say that he had heard the Messenger of Allah say:

1. إِنَّ فِي عَلِيٍّ خِصَالًا لَوْ كَانَتْ وَاحِدَةٌ مِنْهَا فِيرجلٍ اِكتفي بِهَا فَضْلًا و شرفاً

2. قَوْلُهُ: مَنْ كُنْتُ مَوْلَاهُ فَعَلِيٌّ مَوْلَاهُ

3. وَ قَوْلُهُ: عَلِيٌّ مِنِّي كَهَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى

4. وَ قَوْلُهُ: عَلِيٌّ مِنِّي وَ أَنَا مِنْهُ

5. وَ قَوْلُهُ: عَلِيٌّ مِنِّي كَنَفْسِي، طَاعَتُهُ طَاعَتِي وَ مَعْصِيَتُهُ مَعْصِيَتِي

6. وَ قَوْلُهُ: حَرْبُ عَلِيٍّ حَرْبُ اللَّهِ وَ سِلْمُ عَلِيٍّ سِلْمُ اللَّهِ

7. وَ قَوْلُهُ: وَلِيُّ عَلِيٍّ وَلِيُّ اللَّهِ وَ عَدُوُّ عَلِيٍّ عَدُوُّ اللَّهِ

8. وَ قَوْلُهُ: عَلِيٌّ حُجَّةُ اللَّهِ وَ خَلِيفَتُهُ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ

9. وَ قَوْلُهُ: حُبُّ عَلِيٍّ إِيمَانٌ وَ بُغْضُهُ كُفْرٌ

10. وَ قَوْلُهُ: حِزْبُ عَلِيٍّ حِزْبُ اللَّهِ وَ حِزْبُ أَعْدَائِهِ حِزْبُ الشَّيْطَانِ

11. وَ قَوْلُهُ: عَلِيٌّ مَعَ الْحَقِّ وَ الْحَقُّ مَعَهُ لَا يَفْتَرِقَانِ

12. وَ قَوْلُهُ: عَلِيٌّ قَسِيمُ الْجَنَّةِ وَ النَّارِ

13. وَ قَوْلُهُ: مَنْ فَارَقَ عَلِيّاً فَقَدْ فَارَقَنِي وَ مَنْ فَارَقَنِي فَقَدْ فَارَقَ اللَّهَ

14. وَ قَوْلُهُ صلی الله عليه و آله شِيعَةُ عَلِيٍّ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

1. “Ali owns great superiorities and one them is with a man it is enough to prove his nobility and the superiority

2. Whosoever I am a Master so is Ali his Master

3. Ali is for me as Aaron to Moses

4. Ali is from me and I am from Ali

5. Ali to me is as my soul to me, his obedience is my obedience, and offending him is like offending me

6. Fighting with Ali is as fighting with Allah, and being peaceful with Ali means being in peace with Allah

7. To be friend with Ali means making friends with Allah, and to be his enemy is being Allah’s Enemy

8. Ali is Allah’s proof upon His obedient worshippers

9. The affection of Ali is the belief and the enmity towards him is disbelief

10. The party of Ali is the party of Allah, and the party of his enemy is the party of Satan

11. Ali is with the Right and the Right is with him – they will not separate

12. Ali is the divider between Paradise and Hell

13. Whoever keeps away from Ali, he keeps away from me, and he who keeps away from me he actually keeps away from Allah

14. And the followers of Ali are the victorious on the Day of Judgement.”

By these narrations, it is clearly understood that the Holiness Messenger of Allah, either inwardly or in apparent, was beside Ali ibn Abī Tālib, the Commander of the believers, in all aspects of life. In his house, his Harem, which is Allah’s Harem, he let him abide; they were two souls drawn from one single soul, especially when he says: ‘no one carries out my dutiful tasks except Ali. This means that no one can tolerate this burden task of the Divine Missionary except Ali and Me.”’

As a result, the Holiness Ali has been the close friend and the partner of the Messenger of Allah in all aspects of life: the positions and ranks; he was the bearer of the Banner of ‘Praise’. According to the numerous narrations the Banner of ‘Praise’ was always in his hand; it means no one has known Allah as better as that Holiness, therefore, no one has prayed Allah as earnestly as he has prayed.

Thus, on the Day of Resurrection, the status of the intercession is his and his Household’s hands.

So far, we have explained some of the positions of the Commander of the believers, for example: the Holiness is the Divider between Paradise and Hell, he gives permission to cross ‘The Path’, he is the cupbearer of the Kow‘thar [river in Paradise], he has the authority to intercede and he is measurer of the deeds.

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Removing the doubts that the existing attributes, in the position of the governing, is away from Allah’s power.

It must be known that the preference of the Holiness to these attributions is not inconsistent with the power of Allah, but they are Allah’s own attributions; by honouring those attributions to the Commander of the believers upon him be peace they have not been cut off from Allah that is Allah has not been left void of attributes. They are the very same attributes of Allah which are found with the holiness – the essence of the Guardianship remains with the Lofty the Highest Right. 

Therefore, whatever exists is from Allah and for Allah only, and in the state of the Guardian His Holy Being is needed. Similar to the materials in this world which are limited, power and knowledge have been divided among them and each one benefits them according to their state and merit, and this division is not inconsistent with the power of Allah for the main Divider is Allah Himself, and the appearance of the division is by Allah. Similarly, in the celestial world and logically the Divider is Allah, that is, the division of the names and the attributes are not hidden from Him; and the position of the Guardianship is the very act of Allah.

As He has stated:

وَمَا تَشَاؤُونَ إِلَّا أَن يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ ^[22]

‘…and you do not wish so, unless Allah desires, (Qur’an: 76/30).’

Thus, in the Resurrection, which is the time for everything to appear, no one sees anything except the Power, the Magnitude and the Beauty of Allah; and beings are nil in front of that Lofty Essence of Holiness.

As it is stated:

يَوْمَ هُم بَارِزُونَ لَا يَخْفَى عَلَى اللَّهِ مِنْهُمْ شَيْءٌ ^[23]

‘…The Day when they emerge, nothing about them will be hidden from Allah, (Qur’an: 40/16).’

وَبَرَزُواْ للّهِ الْوَاحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ ^[24]

 ‘… they will appear in the presence of Allah the Irresistible, (Qur’an: 14/48).’

وَلَوْ يَرَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ إِذْ يَرَوْنَ الْعَذَابَ أَنَّ الْقُوَّةَ لِلّهِ جَمِيعًا ^[25]

 ‘… If only those who wronged themselves could see, when facing the chastisement, that all power belongs to Allah, (Qur’an: 2/165).’

 إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ ^[26]

‘… Indeed, Allah is the Only Provider – the Owner of the Enduring Power, (Qur’an: 51/58).’

 و َلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ ^[27]

‘… So praise belongs to Allah, (Qur’an: 45/36).’

و اللّهُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ^[28]

 ‘… [It is] Allah [that] there is no deity but Him, the Eternal Alive, (Qur’an: 2/255).’

و انَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ ^[29]

‘… surely He is the Seeing Hearer, (Qur’an: 17/1).’

و إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ^[30]

 ‘… surely He is the Knowing Hearer, (Qur’an: 44/6).’

The position of the Guardianship is the spirit of these attributes but nothing more, thus, the appearance of these attributes and names are the very Guardianship – and praise belongs to Allah the Lord of the worlds, and bless be on Muhammad and his chaste Household.

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