battlefield, and now I am over sixty, but, he who is not obeyed does not have command of the situation.1
In his military training of the troops, Imām Ali (a.s.) was not negligent of even the smallest details, such as: the troops should not part from their weapons, should use the right chance to launch attacks on the enemy, and should not stare into the enemy’s eyes, the multitude of the enemy forces should not cast fear in their hearts, and that they should know what must be done at the time of defeat and how to withdraw tactically once defeated in war, and so on.
2. Formation of Special Forces
The forces may vary in their morale, level of knowledge and the extent of ability and self-sacrifice, even though they are on one single battleground and with a shared intention. Scenes of confrontation also vary, with each scene demanding appropriate and competent fighters and warriors. Thus, one of the most outstanding features in Imām Ali’s (a.s.) military policies is the formation of ‘special troops’ which Imām called the Forces of Thursday (shurtah al-khamis).2
Imām Ali’s (a.s.) most efficient, self-sacrificing and most accomplished warriors were recruited for the special forces. This unit was astonishingly competent, and the Imām employed them for special purposes and for specific battlefields. He (a.s.) addressed them in a sermon as follows:
أنتُمُ الأَنصارُ عَلَى الحَقِّ، وَ الإخوانُ فِي الدِّينِ، وَالجُنَنُ يَومَ البَأسِ، وَالبِطانَةُ دونَ النّاسِ، بِكُم أضرِبُ المُدبِرَ، و أَرجو طاعَةَ المُقبِلِ، فَأَعينوني بِمُناصَحَةٍ خَلِيَّةٍ مِنَ الغَشِّ، سَليمَةٍ مِنَ الرَّيبِ فَوَاللهِ إنّي لَأَولَى النّاسِ بِالنّاسِ.You are the helpers of the Truth, brothers in faith, the shields on the day of tribulations and hardships of the time, and my confidants rather than other people. With your help, I will beat those who turn their back, and I look forward to the obedience of the supporters. So, help me with benevolence