Author: Shukran Ahmadi
The Biography of “Hazrat Ali, A.S” (Part 10)
The second chapter: Hazrat Ali (A.S) in the time of Hazrat Umar (MAPH)
Cooperation and Assistance of Ali with Hazrat Umar
Here, keeping in mind the brevity, we will have a short reference to a corner of the relationship between Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Umar, their sincere friendship, mutual trust and exchange of opinions with each other.
Nafi Eysi says: Once I went to the place where the camels were kept for zakat with Umar bin Khattab and Ali bin Abi Talib. Osman sat in the shade to write down what Umar said, and Ali stood next to him and repeated what Umar said to Osman. But Umar, wearing two black robes and wrapping one of them around his head, stood under the burning sun and counted the zakat camels and found their color, teeth and characteristics and said to Ali: Ali (while He was surprised by Umar’s accuracy, trust and hard work) he said to Osman: “یا أبت استأجره إن خیر من استأجرت القوی الأمین” Then Ali pointed to Umar with his hand and said: This is a strong and trustworthy man.
Ali Morteza was the best adviser and benefactor of Umar and was a wise Judge for complex issues. It has even been narrated from Hazrat Umar: If it were not for Ali, Umar would have perished.
When Hazrat Umar went to Quds (Palestine), he appointed Ali as his successor, and Hazrat Ali married his daughters Umm Kulsoom Bint Fatima to Hazrat Umar.
An Obvious proof of the sincerity and purity of the interests of Muslims
The most obvious proof of the purity and sincerity of Hazrat Ali (A.S) towards Hazrat Umar (MAPH) and his sincere benevolence for Islam and Muslims is his firm position and honest opinion regarding the fateful war. The reason behind this incident was that after the fall of Jalula and the conquest of Ahvaz by the Muslims, the Iranians appealed to their (defeated) king Yazgerd, who was in Merv at that time, and provoked him. The areas between Khorasan, Helwan, Bab and Sind, he wrote a letter about this; As a result, an army consisting of “one hundred and fifty thousand” fighting men gathered under the leadership of “Firozan” in Nahavand, “Yezgerd” aroused the passion to defend the Sassanid homeland and their nationalistic feeling, the “Darfesh Kaviani” flag, which in the eyes of Iranians was a messenger of conquest and victory, and the fire they were worshiped was with them. Yazgerd appointed Shah Mardan the son of Hormuz as the commander-in-chief of this army and sent him to Nahavand.
Saad bin Abi Waqqas (A.S) (the commander of the Islamic army) wrote a letter to Hazrat Umar (A.S) and informed him of the situation, and after he appeared in his presence, he also explained it verbally and said: The people of Kufa want permission that before the Iranians start the attack, fight with them, so as to instill fear in the enemy’s heart.
Hazrat Umar (MAPH) gathered the noble companions and consulted with them about this and said: Our future fate is at stake in this war, I have decided to leave Madinah with all the forces at my disposal and camp in a place in the middle of these two cities. I will support the army of Islam, if Allah makes them victorious, I will command them to destroy the heart of the enemy cities.
Talha bin Obaidullah said: O Amir Ul Mominin, the authority is in your hands, we will obey whatever you command, and we will accept your command. Then Hazrat Umar (A.S) asked for the opinion of Hazrat Usman (A.S), Hazrat Usman stood up and said: In my opinion, write to the people of Sham and Yaman to move towards Iraq, and you also move with the people of Haramin.
Then Hazrat Umar (A.S) asked for Hazrat Ali (A.S) opinion, he stood up and disagreed with his opinion and said: You should not leave Madinah; Because your existence will cause unity and your departure from Madinah will cause chaos and division. You stay in Madinah and leave this work to the people and other armies of Islam. Hazrat Umar (A.S) accepted the sincere opinion of Hazrat Ali and then he asked for his opinion about appointing the commander of this war, everyone said: you have more opinion about this than others, then he appointed Numan bin Muqrin Muzni as the commander-in-chief.
The text of the words of Hazrat Ali (A.S) is detailed in the book of Nahj al-Balaghah, where we read that: Umar consulted with Hazrat Ali (A.S) about leaving Madinah to fight against the Iranians, and he said: The victory and defeat of this religion is due to the large and small number of the army. No, it is Allah’s religion that made it victorious (among other religions), and they are Allah’s soldiers that He prepared and helped them until Islam grew and penetrated in many lands. Allah has promised us victory and he keeps his promise and helps his army. The leader’s position is like the rosary thread that connects the seeds and remains attached to each other. When the thread is broken, the seeds will be scattered and will never be concentrated next to each other. While the Arabs are now few in number; But due to the existence of Islam, they are numerous and due to unity, they are dominant and noble; So be the pole of mill and turn (mill of war) by the Arabs and turn them into the fire of war and stay yourself; Because if you leave this land (Madinah), there is a danger that the Arabs around the country will revolt against you, and then things will reach a point where the preservation and protection of the borders becomes more important than going to the campaign of Iranians.
Another thing is that if the Iranians see you on the battlefield tomorrow, they will say: This is the leader of the Arabs. If you eliminate him, you will be relieved. But what you said that the Iranians have moved with the intention of attacking the Muslims and that you are upset about this, I must say in response: dear Allah is more upset about their move than you, and Allah has more power than you to change what He does not like; But what you said about the number of Iranians, I should remind you that we did not fight with a large number of soldiers before. Rather, we were fighting because of the help of Allah.
Also, when Hazrat Umar (MAPH) consulted with Hazrat Ali (MAPH) to go to the Roman war (before the war of Yarmouk), he gave a vote indicating sincerity and kindness. when Abu Ubaydah sent a letter to Hazrat Umar (A.S) and informed him that the Roman forces have covered the sea and land and are moving like a roaring slap. Hazrat Umar (A.S) gathered the emigrants and the Ansar and read a letter of Abu Ubaydah to them, they could not control their emotions and with tears and excitement asked permission from Hazrat Umar and said: Allow us so that we can go to the Syrian front and with Nisar Let’s hasten our blood with the help of our brothers, the fire of enthusiasm and saga of Muhajirin and ansar was increasing when Abd al-Rahman bin Auf (A.S) proposed that Amir al-Mu’minin personally take over the command of the army because of the support and encouragement of the Mujahideen of Syria.
At this time, Hazrat Ali ((A.S)) stood up in opposition and said: Allah has pledged the honor of Muslims and the covering of faults; The Allah who made the Muslims victorious when they were few and had no one to support them, is alive and will never die. If you yourself go to the enemy’s war and fight with them and get defeated, there will be no refuge for the Muslims in distant places, then He did not ask for a reference from you to refer to him; Therefore, send a man who has seen war and is brave to fight them, and send along with him those who are capable of the hardships of war and are loyal. If Allah makes him victorious, that is your will, and if he fails, you will be the refuge of the people and the restorer of their deeds.
One thing is certain that if Hazrat Ali (A.S) had malicious intent towards Hazrat Umar (A.S) or if he was heartily displeased with him and considered him a usurper of his right, he would always wait for an opportunity to restore his right and use this golden opportunity to eliminate the usurper of his right. and advised him to personally go to the battlefield and be killed there or that he would send someone to kill him in order to prepare the ground for his caliphate; But we see how he strives for the benevolence of Umar and other Muslims with extraordinary compassion and sincerity. Indeed, his advice came from the depth of his heart, and it is true that such a proposal does not come from anyone else except from a pure and disinterested heart and a high-minded and far-sighted man like Ali(A.S); But on the contrary, when the Christians asked Hazrat Umar (A.S) to go to Jerusalem and sign the peace agreement and hand over the keys of Al-Aqsa Mosque, at this time, Abu Ubaydah (A.S) wrote to the Amir of the Believers that the conquest of Jerusalem depends on his coming, he called the elders of the Companions. And they consulted with them about this, Osman (A.S) said: It is better that Amir al-Mu’minin does not go to them so that they will be humiliated more. But Ali(A.S) considered it expedient for the Caliph of the Muslims to go to Quds and said: This is an eternal historical honor and honor that does not happen at any time and for everyone, and on the other hand, it will cause the Muslims to become lazy, Hazrat Umar (A.S) confirmed his opinion and himself prepared for the journey to Jerusalem and in his absence, he chose Ali (A.S) as his successor and entrusted him with all the powers of the caliphate and he himself moved to the land of Syria in the month of Rajab in the sixteenth year of AH.
