Virtues of Imam Ali ibn abi Talib (AS) - volume 4

256 Pages·2020·5.322 MB·English

by  Sayyid_Muhammad_Husayn_Husayni_Tehrani

He is Omniscient
A Course on the Knowledge and Science of Islam
-2-
Knowing the Imams

Volume 4

TheVirtues ofAli, the Master ofthe Faithful
© 2016 Great Books of the Islamic World
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
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wise, without the written permission of the publishers.
Printed in the United States of America.
Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Allamah Hajj Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Husayni Tihrani
Knowing the Imams, Volume 4
• 1. Islam. 2. Shiism. I. Title II. Author
Volume 4
ISBN 10: 1-56744-557-8
ISBN 13: 978-1-56744-557-2
Note: While it is common in Persian or Arabic to place blessings on the
Prophet or the Imams (you may find an "as," "s," or "pbh" or something
similar after the names of the Imams), it is not common practice in an
English text. Readers should just say the phrase of blessings in their heart
when they see reference to the Prophet or Imams.
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Knowing the Imams
Volume 4
Exegetical, philosophical, traditionist, historical, and sociological discus­
sions on Guardianship in general, and, the lmamate and Guardianship of
Ali Ibn Abi Jalib and the infallible Imams in particular
Discursive and scientific lessons taken from the Noble Qur’an and Sunni
and Shico. hadiths; discussions on Guardianship, providing solutions and
critique
A Course on the Knowledge and Science of Islam
-2-
He is Omniscient
Knowing the Imams

Volume 4
The Virtues of Ali, the Master of the Faithful
cAllamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Husayni Tihrani
Translated by Rahim P. Dawlati and Salim Rossier
Editor: Seyyed Khalil Toussi
Series editor: Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Great Books of the Islamic World
;
1
Contents
LESSONS FORTY-SIX TO FIFTY-ONE 3
Commentary on Verses 35:31-32 3
The Meaning of Inheriting the Qur’an 4
Three Categories 6
The Inheritors of the Book Are All Children of Fatimah 8
Imam Baqir's Commentary on Then We Left This Book
as an Inheritance 10
The Imam Is the Heir to All the Knowledge of the Qur’an 13
The Imam Has All the Prophets' Knowledge 14
The Prophets' and Imams' Miracles Come After They Have
Perfected Themselves; The Imam Inherits All the Prophets'
Perfection and Merits 17
Imam Ali Has All the Perfection of the Prophets 18
Ali Has Seven Attributes That No One Else Has 24
The Imam Journeys Miraculously to Ctesiphon When
Salman Dies 26
Some of the Imam's Miracles; Even Animals Obey the Imam 28
The Sun Is Sent Back on Several Occasions for Ali 30
Poetry about the Sun's Being Sent Back for Ali 32
The Imam Heals the Blind and Reattaches Severed Digits 38
The Imam Travels through the Air to the Cave and Converses
with Its Occupants 40
Ali Raises a Dead Man 44
Three Thousand Angels Greet Ali in a Single Night 46
Ali Splits Stone 49
Ali Was Tried and Tested More Than All the Prophets 51
Imam Ali Inherited All the Prophets' Perfection 54
Imam Ali's Sermon, Which Says That the Imams Should Be Put
on the Same Best Level as the Qur’an 55
Imam Ali's Words: "I Was a Neighbor, Whose Body Neighbored
You for a Few Days" 57
The Imams Are the Inheritors of God's Book 58
The Khidr's Words about Ali's Martyrdom 60
Imam Ali's Virtues Are Innumerable 62
Mucawiyah Prohibits the Citation of the Imam's Feats 66
Uzri's Ode 68
Persian Poetry 72
v
cAbd al-Baql Effendi 73
Arabic Poetry by Sayyid Ismael ShlrazI 73
More Persian Poetry, by Mirza Jilvah 74
LESSONS FIFTY-TWO AND FIFTY-THREE 79
Commentary on the Verse Those who disbelieve, say, "You are not a
messenger." 79
Opinions on Who It Is Who Has All the Knowledge of
the Book 79
A Brief Overview of Surat al-Racd 80
What It Means for the Prophet to Call God as a Witness 84
Various Opinions on Whoever Has All the Knowledge of the Book 85
Hadiths That Say That Imam Ali is He Who Has All the Knowledge
of the Book 92
The Imams, Beginning with Ali, Have All the Knowledge
of the Book 95
Biographical Note on c Abdullah Ibn Salam 100
cAbdullah Ibn Salam Is Not He Who Has All the Knowledge
of the Book 102
The Imams, Beginning with Ali, Were and Are the Most
Knowledgeable about God's Book 104
LESSONS FIFTY-FOUR TO FIFTY-SIX 111
Commentary of the Verse Is he then who has insight from
his Lord 111
A Brief Overview of Surat Hud 111
The Meaning of and H2
Abu al-Futuh RazT's Explanation of Why the Witness Can Only
Mean Imam Ali 115
The Meaning of "Witness" in a witness from among the Israelites has
testified to its like 118
Refutation of the Claim that cAbdullah Ibn Salam Is the Witness
Referred to in the Verse 120
Hadiths from Ibn cAbbas That Say That Imam Ali Is
the Witness 123
From the Prophet and the Imams 124
cAmr Ibn al-cAs's Letter to Mucawiyah Concerning
Ali's Virtues 127
cAmr's Misdeeds and His Enmity to the Prophet 129
cAmr Defames the Prophet's Delegate to the Negus 131
Mucawiyah's Letter to cAmr 133
cAmr's Reply to Mucawiyah 134
vi
cAmr's Son and Servant Both Tell Him Not to
Help Mucawiyah 135
Hadiths from Imam Sajjad and Imam Hasan 139
Hadiths from Imam Ali 141
The Imam's Sermon in Kufa 143
The Chain of Transmission 145
The Sermon "Ask Me Before You Lose Me/' Ibn al-Kawwa^'s
Questions, and Imam Ali's Replies 146
Being Made the Witness Was the Imam's
Greatest Achievement 152
The Imam is the Prophet's Pupil and Just One Level
Below Him 154
Sayyid Himyari's Poetry in Praise of Imam Ali 159
LESSONS FIFTY-SEVEN TO SIXTY 165
Commentary on the Verse You are just a zoarner and every nation
has a guide 165
The Pagans' Vexatious Request 167
The Verse Means That the Earth Will Never Be Left
without a Proof 168
Various Interpretations of Guide 168
The Meaning of "Guidance" and "Warning" 171
Hadiths That Say That the Imam Is a Guide 172
Hadiths That Say That the Guide Is Ali Ibn Abl Talib 174
God's Messenger Explicitly States That the Guide Means Ali 174
Hadiths on the Authority of Ali That Say That He Is
the Guide 177
Hadiths That Allude to Imam Ali's Being the Guide 179
The Prophet Performs Ablutions and Then Explains That He Is
the Warner and That Imam Ali Is the Guide 180
Hadiths about God's Messenger's Ascension That Say That the
Guide Means Imam Ali 183
The Need to Follow a Living Imam; Hadiths That Say That the
Word "Guide" Applies to All the Other Imams as Well as to
Imam Ali 187
The Prophet Refers to All Twelve Imams by Name 189
The Imamate Is Exclusive to Muhammad's Family, Who Are the
Most Learned 192
Imam Sajjad's Prayer 193
What the Imam's Guidance Means 196
The Imam Strengthens the Link Between Hearts and God 197
Three Categories of People 198
vii
The Earth Has Never Been and Will Never Be without a Proof 200
Imam Ali's Words to Kumayl about the Divine Proofs 203
An Allusion to the Appearance of the Implementer 205
cAllamah MajlisTs Commentary on the Exegetical Hadiths 207
viii
Lessons Forty-Six to Fifty-One

Commentary on the Verse

and that which We have revealed to you from
• • •
the Book is the Truth confirming what preceded

it; surely with respect to His servants God is

Aware, Seeing.

Then We left this Book as an inheritance to

those ofOur servants, whom We had chosen. Yet

there are some of them who wrong themselves

while othersfollow a middle course, and there are

some who areforemost in good deeds with God's

permission; and that is the same great divinefa­

vour. (35:31-32)