Author: Shukran Ahmadi
The Biography of Hazrat Ali “MAPH” (Part 7)
Hazrat Ali’s role in the battle of Khandaq
In the month of Shawwal in the fifth year of Hijri, the battle of Khandaq took place with Ahzab. In this battle, one of the Quraish horsemen named Amro bin Abd Waddah, who alone was counted as one thousand horsemen, stood in front of the ranks of the Muslims and called for a fight. Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, came to the square and said: O Amr, have you made a covenant with Allah that whenever a man from Quraysh calls you to one of two tasks, you will accept one of them? he replied, yes you are right. Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: So, I invite you to Allah and His Messenger and to Islam. Amr said: I do not need it. Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: So, I call you to hand-to-hand combat. Amr said: Why, nephew, I swear to Allah, I do not want to kill you. Ali said: But I would like to kill you. Meanwhile, Amr got angry and got down from his horse and turned it back and then turned to Ali. They fought with each other until Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) killed him.
The Battle of Khyber and the bravery of Ali
At the end of the month of Muharram in the 7th year of Hijri, the battle of Khyber took place. In this battle, the bravery of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, and his position with Allah and His Messenger were revealed in a surprising way, and Allah conquest Khyber, which was very important in terms of strategic and strategic location, by him.
Khyber was located in the northeast and was seventy miles away from the city of Madinah. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, moved towards Khyber with his army, which consisted of 1,400 people, and conquered its forts one after another during a massive attack. But it was difficult for the Muslims to conquer the “Qamoos” castle. Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was suffering from eye pain at that time, and the prophet, PBUH, said: Tomorrow, the flag will be held by someone whom Allah and His Messenger love, and the fortress will be opened in his hand. Each of the elders of the Companions hoped that the flag would be entrusted to him, he called the prophet (PBUH) Ali, who was suffering from eye pain at that time, and rubbed his eyes with the glaze of his blessed mouth and prayed for him. Instantly his eyes were healed as if they had never hurt at all. Then he handed over the flag to him. Hazrat Ali asked? Should I fight with them so that they become Muslims like us? The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Continue your way until you land next to their castle, then call them to Islam and show them the truth of Allah! I swear to Allah: If Allah guides a single person by you, it is better for you than a herd of red-haired and precious camels.
Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, arrived at Qamoos Castle. Marhab, the famous Pahlavan (wrestler), came out while chanting, Ali and Marhab struck twice, then Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, struck him, and the sword split his iron helmet and sword, and went through his teeth, and thus the city was conquered.
On Proxy of the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), and humility
In the month of Rajab of the 9th year of Hijri, the battle of Tabuk took place, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, appointed Muhammad bin Salama, may Allah be pleased with him, to manage the affairs of the people of Medina, and chose Ibn Maktoum to lead the prayers for the people. And he appointed Hazrat Ali (RA) to be the guardian and protector of his household. When Ali (RA) complained to the Prophet (PBUH) about the spreading of rumors by the hypocrites, the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Aren’t you pleased that you are like Aaron to Moses, except there is no prophet after me.
In another narration, it is said that the Messenger of Allah, PBUH, left Hazrat Ali (RA) in his place in Madinah. Ali, R.A, said: O Messenger of Allah, will you leave me with women and children in Medina?
In the 9th year of Migration, after the conquest of Makkah and the return from the battle of Tabuk, groups representing the Arabs from all corners of the world turned to Madinah and groups converted to Islam. The Messenger of Allah, PBUH, sent Khalid bin Walid, MAPH, with a group of Muslims to Yemen, to call them to Islam. He stayed there for six months and invited people to Islam, but they did not respond. The second stage, the Messenger of Allah, PBUH, sent Ali bin Abi Talib to them, as soon as Hazrat Ali, MAPH, read the letter and message of the Prophet, PBUH, to them, All Hamedan tribe accepted Islam. Then Hazrat Ali, R.H, conveyed the news of their conversion to Islam in a letter to the Messenger of Allah, PBUH. When the prophet read the letter, he prostrated and after raising his head said: Peace be upon the tribe of Hamadan Peace be upon the tribe of Hamadan.
In the 9th year of Hijri, the Hajj was obligatory. The Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), appointed Abu Bakr as the Amir and Head of the Pilgrims to perform the Hajj ceremony with them. Until then, polytheists still performed Hajj together with Muslims in their own ignorant way. After Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, left with 300 Muslims, Allah (S.W.T) revealed Surah repentance (Toba) to the Hazrat, PBUH. He asked Hazrat Ali, R.H, and said: Take the first verses of Surah Toba, and on the day of Nahr (Eid al-Qurban), when people gather in Mina. recite it and inform them that no unbeliever will enter paradise, and after this year no polytheist will perform Hajj, and no naked person will circumambulate the house of Allah, and anyone who makes a covenant with the prophet, PBUH, will be valid until the end of his term.
Hazrat Ali, MAPH, rode on the camel of the Prophet, PBUH, whose name was Azbaa, and took the road to Mecca until he reached Hazrat Abu Bakr, MAPH. Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him, have you come to fulfill a mission, or have you been entrusted with the authority and supervision of pilgrims? Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I have come to fulfill a mission.
So, the two continued on their way. The people performed the Hajj ceremony under the guidance of Abu Bakr. When the day of Nahr (10th of Zu al-Hajjah) arrived, Hazrat Ali (MAPH) stood among the people and conveyed to the people what the Prophett (PBUH) had told him.
Hujjat-Ul-Weda and Ghadir-kham sermon
Hazrat Ali, MAPH, was returning from Najran, a city in Yemen, to the Prophet, PBUH. The Messenger of Allah, PBUH, brought one hundred camels with him as a sacrifice. He beheaded sixty-three camels with his own hand and then told Ali, R.H, to slaughter the rest by the throat (not moving) on his behalf, in this way, a charity was completed, After the Messenger of Allah, PBUH, performed the rituals of Hajj and moved towards Medina with his companions, when he reached Ghadir Kham, he delivered a sermon, and in that sermon, he spoke of the virtues of Ali, R.H, and said:
“من کنت مولاه فعلی مولاه، اللهم وال من والاه وعاد من عاداه”
The motivation behind these words was that some people had criticized Hazrat Ali, MAPH, and blamed him for returning the clothes divided from the booty by his successor among the soldiers. Ibn Kasir, may Allah have mercy on him, says: In that sermon, the Prophet, PBUH, spoke about many things, and also spoke about the trustworthiness, justice, and good qualities of Ali, R.H, and his kinship with the Prophet, PBUH. and in this way the animosity of the people ended toward Ali (R.H).
