Author: Shukran Ahmadi
The biography of Hazrat Ali (A.S) (Part 4)
Birth of Hazrat Ali (A.S)
Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was born ten years before the Prophetic mission. Ibn Saad says: Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was born in the 6th century CE, thirty years after the Aam al-feel, on the thirteenth night of the month of Rajab.
Hakem says in the biography of Hakim bin Hizam: According to the reports, Fatima bint Asad gave birth to Amir al-Mu’minin Ali inside the Kaaba. Ibn Abi al-Hadid wrote in his commentary on Nahj al-Balaghah: There is a difference of opinion about the birthplace of Ali. Many Shiites believe that he was born in the Kaaba, but the Muhaddiths do not accept this and say: Hakim bin Hizam bin Khuwaylid bin Asad bin Abdulaziz bin Qasi was born in the Kaaba.
Ali (RA) under the guardianship of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)
Tabari quotes Mujahid in his “Tarikh Al-om’mam- Wal-Muluk” as saying: One of the blessings of Allah’s will towards Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was the guaranty and guardianship of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The apparent reason was that Quraysh faced a severe economic crisis and Abu Talib was an encumbered by a family. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to his uncle Ab’bas, who had more wealth than the rest of Banu Hashim: “your brother Abu Talib is an encumbered by a family, and you see how the people are facing problems.” Let’s go to him and lighten his burden. I will take one of his children to me, and you will take one of them to you! Ab’bas agreed to the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) proposal; Therefore, they went to Abutalib and asked him to entrust the guardianship of his children to them until the crisis was resolved. Abu Talib said: Leave Aqeel for me and take each one you want. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) took Ali, and Ab’bas took Jafar (may Allah be pleased with him) to their homes. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was with him until the Prophet’s (may Allah be pleased with him) prophetic mission and believed in his mission. Jafar (RA) also stayed with Ab’bas until he became a Muslim and no longer needed him.
The story of Hazrat Ali’s conversion to Islam
Ibn Ishaq says: One day the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and his wife Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) were praying when Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) entered and asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) what is this action? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: This is the chosen religion of Allah that He has sent His prophets to convey it. I call you to worship the One God who has no partner and I ask you to disbelieve in La’at and Ozza. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: This is something I have not heard yet. I cannot make a decision without consulting Abu Talib. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who did not want his secret to be revealed before the public invitation, said to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): If you do not believe, then keep these secrets hidden!
Hazrat Ali (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) passed that night, Allah instilled the truth of Islam in his heart, and the next morning he appeared before the Prophet (peace be upon him) and presented his Islam. After that, Ali (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to go with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in secret and away from the eyes of Abu Talib, (and he was praying with him) and did not reveal his Islam according to the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
The more correct narration, which is approved by most of the narrators, is that after Khadija, the first person who believed in the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and prayed with him was Ali. Zaid bin Arqam says: The first person who converted to Islam and prayed with the Prophet (peace be upon him) was Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Ibn Ab’bas (may Allah be pleased with him) says: The first Muslim after Khadijah was Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Muhammad bin Abd al-Hayman bin Zaradeh says: Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) converted to Islam at the age of nine. Mujahid says: The first person who prayed was Ali. He was ten years old at that time. Hasan bin Zayd says: Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), do not worship idols; because he was a young child.
Evidence and the nature of things demand the same thing; Because Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was brought up in the arms of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in a prophetic Islamic environment and in the home of a preacher, who was entrusted with the responsibility of delivering the divine message to all the worlds. Being affected by such an environment (if there is no strong obstacle and deviation from the correct nature) is a natural thing and in accordance with human nature. Some scholars and researchers have reconciled different narrations about the first Muslim, that the pioneers of Islam, from among the women and members of the household, umm al-Mo’minin Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her), from men was Abu Bakr and from children was Ali. Allah knows.
Some historians have said that Abu Talib said to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): Son: What is this religion that you have followed? Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, “Father! I have believed in Allah and His prophet and followed him. According to them, Abu Talib said to Hazrat Ali: O child! Know that he does not call you except for goodness, so take his service as necessary. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) helped those who came to Makkah to seek the truth and research about Islam, and He guided them to the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He had a special wisdom and intelligence that was characteristic of Bani Hashem.
The greatest honor
Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) says: one day the Prophet (peace be upon him) and I went to the courtyard of the Ka’aba, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) wanted the idols that the polytheists had installed on the roof of the Ka’aba to collapse, so he ordered me to sit. Then he put his foot under my shoulder to go up. I wanted to get up, but I couldn’t. When he felt my weakness, he came down and sat down on the ground and took me with his arms and then got up. I felt that I was reaching the horizon of the sky, and then I climbed on top of the roof of the Ka’aba and removed the statue that was installed and fixed in the bay. I pulled it and threw it on the ground at the command of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the statue shattered like glass, then I got down and with the Prophet (peace be upon him) we quickly moved away from there and hid behind the walls of the houses so that none of the infidels would notice what we were doing.
