Chapter One: His Birth

Encyclopedia of Imam Ali (AS), written by Muhammad Muhammadi Rayshahri, abridged by Mahdi Gholamali, translated by Zaid Alsalami and Safyullah Khan, edited by Hamid Reza Salarkia and published by NORPUB.

أ ـ النَّسَبُ

A. Lineage

1. رسول اللّه صلى الله عليه و آله :خُلِقتُ أنَا وعَليٌّ مِن نورٍ واحِدٍ . . . فَلَم يَزَل يَنقُلُنَا اللّهُ عزّ وجلّ مِن أصلابٍ طاهِرَةٍ إلى أرحامٍ طاهِرَةٍ حَتَّى انتَهى بِنا إلى عَبدِ المُطَّلِبِ .

1. The Prophet (SA) said: “Ali and I have been created from a single light… Allah, the Sublime and the Exalted, continued to transfer us from pure loins to pure wombs, until He took us to `Abd al-Muttalib.”

معاني الأخبار : ص56 ح4 .

Ma`ani al-Akhbar, p. 56, h. 4.

ب ـ الأَبُ

B. His Father

2. كمال الدين عن الأصبغ بن نباتة :سَمِعتُ أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ ـ صَلَواتُ اللّهِ عَلَيهِ ـ يَقولُ :

2. Kamal al-Din, narrating from al-Asbagh ibn Nubatah, who said: “I heard the Commander of the Faithful (AS) say:

وَاللّهِ ما عَبَدَ أبي ولا جَدّي عَبدُ المُطَّلِبِ ولا هاشِمٌ ولا عَبدُ مَنافٍ صَنَماً قَطُّ !

“By Allah, never did my father nor my grandfather `Abd al-Muttalib nor Hashim nor `Abd Manaf worship an idol.”

قيلَ لَهُ : فَما كانوا يَعبُدونَ ؟

When asked: “Then what did they worship?”,

قالَ : كانوا يُصَلّونَ إلَى البَيتِ عَلى دينِ إبراهيمَ عليه السلام ، مُتَمَسِّكينَ بِهِ .

he said: “They prayed towards the House [the Ka`bah], following the religion of Abraham (AS) and adhering to it.”

كمال الدين : ص174 ح32 .

Kamal al-Din, p. 174, h. 32.

3. الكافي عن إسحاق بن جعفر عن الإمام الصادق عليه السلام :قيلَ لَهُ : إِنَّهُم يَزعُمونَ أنَّ أبا طالِبٍ كانَ كافِرا ؟ فَقالَ : كَذَبوا ، كَيفَ يَكونُ كافِراً وهُوَ يَقولُ :

3. AL-Kafi, narrating from Ishaq ibn Ja`far from Imam al-Sadiq (AS), who was told: “It is claimed that Abu Talib was a nonbeliever.” He (AS) answered: “They are lying. How could he be a nonbeliever when he says:

 أ لَم تَعلَموا أنّا وَجَدنا مُحَمَّدا           نَبِيّا كَموسى خُطَّ في أوَّلِ الكُتبِ

  “Do you not know that we consider Mohammad, a prophet like Moses, written in the earliest of books.”

 وفي حَديثٍ آخَرَ : كَيفَ يَكونُ أبو طالِبٍ كافِرا وهُوَ يَقولُ :

In another tradition he (AS) said: “How could Abu Talib be a nonbeliever when he says:

 لَقَد عَلِموا أنَّ ابنَنا لا مُكَذَّبٌ            لَدَينا ولا يَعبَأُ بِقِيلِ الأَباطِلِ

“They know that our son is not a liar to us, Nor does he pay attention to falsehoods.

وأبيَضُ يُستَسقَى الغَمامُ بِوَجهِهِ                ثِمالُ اليَتامى عِصمَةٌ لِلأَرامِلِ 

With his white face, rain is sent down, A refuge for orphans and a protector of widows.”

الكافي : ج1 ص448 ح29 .

 (Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 448, h. 29. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 35, p. 136, h. 81.)

ج ـ الاُمُّ

C. His Mother

4. الإمام الصادق عليه السلام :إنَّ فاطِمَهَ بِنتَ أسَدٍ اُمَّ أميرِ المُؤمِنينَ كانَت أوَّلَ امرَأَةٍ هاجَرَت إلى رَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله مِن مَكَّةَ إلَى المَدينَةِ عَلى قَدَمَيها . وكانَت مِن أبَرِّ النّاسِ بِرَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله ،

4. Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: “Fatimah bint Asad, the mother of the Commander of the Faithful (AS), was the first woman to migrate to the Messenger of Allah (SA) from Mecca to Medina, walking on foot. She was the most dutiful of people to the Messenger of Allah (SA).

فَسَمِعَت رَسولَ اللّهِ وهُوَ يَقولُ :

She heard the Messenger of Allah (SA) say:

إنَّ النّاسَ يُحشَرونَ يَومَ القِيامَةِ عُراةً كَما وُلِدوا ،

“People will be resurrected naked on Judgment Day, as they were born.”

فَقالَت : وا سَوأَتاه !

She said: “Oh, what shame!”

فَقالَ لَها رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله : 

The Messenger of Allah (SA) said to her:

فَإِنّي أسأَلُ اللّهَ أن يَبعَثَكِ كاسِيَةً .

“I ask Allah to resurrect you fully clothed.”

وسَمِعَتهُ يَذكُرُ ضَغطَةَ القَبرِ ،

She also heard him mentioning what one will endure in the pressure of the grave.

فَقالَت : وَا ضَعفاه !

She exclaimed “Oh, my weakness!”

فَقالَ لَها رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله : فَإِنّي أسأَلُ اللّهَ أن يَكفِيَكِ ذلِكَ .

The Messenger of Allah (SA) said to her: “I ask Allah to spare you from that.”

 وقالَت لِرَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله يَوما : إنّي اُريدُ أن اُعتِقَ جارِيَتي هذِهِ ،

One day, she said to the Messenger of Allah (SA): “I want to free this servant of mine.”

فَقالَ لَها : إن فَعَلتِ أعتَقَ اللّهُ بِكُلِّ عُضوٍ مِنها عُضوا مِنكِ مِنَ النّارِ .

He said to her: “If you do, Allah will free for every limb of hers a part of you from Hellfire.”

 فَلَمّا مَرِضَت أوصَت إلى رَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله ، وأمَرَت أن يُعتِقَ خادِمَها ، وَاعتَقَلَ لِسانُها ، فَجَعَلَت تومي إلى رسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله إيماءً ، فَقَبِلَ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله وَصِيَّتَها .

When she got ill, she passed her will to the Messenger of Allah (SA) and ordered that her servant be freed. As her tongue was paralysed, she pointed to the Messenger of Allah (SA), and he accepted her will.

 فَبَينَما هُوَ ذاتَ يَومٍ قاعِدٌ إذ أتاهُ أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ عليه السلام وهُوَ يَبكي ،

While the Prophet (SA) was sitting down one day, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) came to him weeping.

فَقالَ لَهُ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله : ما يُبكيكَ ؟

The Messenger of Allah (SA) asked him: “Why are you weeping?”

فَقالَ : ماتَت اُمّي فاطِمَةُ ،

He said: “My mother Fatimah has died.”

فَقالَ رَسولُ اللّهِ : واُمّي وَاللّهِ !

The Messenger of Allah (SA) said: “By Allah, she is my mother too.”

وقامَ مُسرِعا حَتّى دَخَلَ ، فَنَظَرَ إلَيها وبَكى . ثُمَّ أمَرَ النِّساءَ أن يُغَسِّلنَها ،

He got up in a hurry, went in, saw her and began to weep. He then ordered the women to give her the ritual bath

وقالَ صلى الله عليه و آله : إذا فَرَغتُنَّ فَلا تُحْدِثنَ شَيئا حَتّى تُعلِمنَني ، فَلَمّا فَرَغنَ أعلَمنَهُ بِذلِكَ ، فَأَعطاهُنَّ أحَدَ قَميصَيهِ الَّذي يَلي جَسَدَهُ وأمَرَهُنَّ أن يُكَفِّنَّها فيهِ ،

and said to them: “When you finish, do not do anything until you inform me.” When they were through, they informed him, and he gave them one of his inner garments and asked them to shroud her with it.

وقالَ لِلمُسلِمينَ : إذا رَأَيتُموني قَد فَعَلتُ شَيئا لَم أفعَلهُ قَبلَ ذلِكَ

He then said to the Muslims: “If you find me doing something I have not done before,

فَسَلوني : لِمَ فَعَلتَهُ ؟

then ask me why I did it.”

فَلَمّا فَرَغنَ مِن غُسلِها وكَفنِها ، دَخَلَ صلى الله عليه و آله فَحَمَلَ جِنازَتَها عَلى عاتِقِهِ ، فَلَم يَزَل تَحتَ جِنازَتِها حَتّى أورَدَها قَبرَها ، ثُمَّ وَضَعَها ودَخَلَ القَبرَ فَاضطَجَعَ فيهِ ،

When the women finished washing and shrouding her, he (SA) went in and carried her coffin on his shoulders and continued holding her coffin until he got to her grave. He then put her down, went inside the grave and lay there in it.

ثُمَّ قامَ فَأَخَذَها عَلى يَدَيهِ حَتّى وَضَعَها فِي القَبرِ ، ثُمَّ انكَبَّ عَلَيها طَويلاً يُناجيها ... .

Then he rose, picked her up, placed her in her grave, and kept whispering to her for a long time....”

الكافي : ج 1 ص 453 ح 2 .

Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 453, h. 2.

د ـ المَولِدُ

D. His Birth

5. المستدرك على الصحيحين :قَد تَواتَرَتِ الأَخبارُ أنَّ فاطِمَةَ بِنتَ أسَدٍ وَلَدَت أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ عَلِيَّ بنَ أبي طالِبٍ عليه السلام في جَوفِ الكَعبَةِ .

5. Al-Mustadrak `ala al-Sahihain: “There is a unanimous agreement on the report that Fatimah bint Asad gave birth to the Commander of the Faithful (AS) inside (the walls of) the Ka`bah.

المستدرك على الصحيحين : ج 3 ص 550 ح 6044 .

Al-Mustadrak `ala al-Sahihain, vol. 3, p. 550, h. 6044.

ه ـ الأَسماءُ

E. His Names

6. الإمام زين العابدين عليه السلام :كانَ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله ذاتَ يَومٍ جالِسا وعِندَهُ عَلِيٌّ وفاطِمَةُ وَالحَسَنُ وَالحُسَينُ عليهم السلام ، فَقالَ :

6. Imam al-Sajjad (AS) said: “The Messenger of Allah (SA) was sitting one day with Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Husain (AS) when said:

وَالَّذي بَعَثَني بِالحَقِّ بَشيرا ، ما عَلى وَجهِ الأَرضِ خَلقٌ أحَبَّ إلَى اللّهِ عزَّ وجَلَّ ولا أكرَمَ عَلَيهِ مِنّا . إنَّ اللّهَ تَبارَكَ وتَعالى شَقَّ لِيَ اسماً مِن أسمائِهِ ؛

“By Him who has rightfully sent me as a giver of glad tidings, there is no one on the face of this earth more loved to Allah the Exalted nor more honoured by Him than we. Indeed, Allah the Exalted and the Lofty, derived my name from His name;

فَهُوَ مَحمودٌ وأنَا مُحَمَّدٌ ، وشَقَّ لَكَ يا عَلِيُّ اسماً مِن أسمائِهِ ؛ فَهُوَ العَلِيُّ الأَعلى وأنتَ عَلِيٌّ ... .

He is the Mahmud (the praiseworthy) and I am Muhammad; as for you Ali, He derived your name from one of His names; He is the `Àli (the High) and you are Ali...”

معاني الأخبار : ص 55 ح 3 .

Ma`ani al-Akhbar, p. 55, h. 3.

و ـ الكُنى

F. His Kunyas and Nicknames

7. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام :كانَ الحَسَنُ في حَياةِ رَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله يَدعوني أبَا الحُسَينِ ، وكانَ الحُسَينُ يَدعوني أبَا الحَسَنِ ، ويَدعُوانِ رَسولَ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله أباهُما .

7. Imam Ali (AS) said: “During the life of the Messenger of Allah (SA), Hasan would call me Abu al-Husain, and Husain would call me Abu al-Hasan, and they would call the Messenger of Allah (SA) their father.

فَلَمّا تُوُفِّيَ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله دَعَواني بِأَبيهِما .

When the Messenger of Allah (SA) passed away, they called me their father.”39

مقاتل الطالبيّين : ص 39

39. Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, p. 39.

8. صحيح البخاري عن أبي حازم :إنَّ رَجُلاً جاءَ إلى سَهلِ بنِ سَعدٍ فَقالَ : هذا فُلانٌ ـ لِأَميرِ المَدينَةِ ـ يَدعو عَلِيّا عِندَ المِنبَرِ .

8. Sahih al-Bukhari, narrating from Abu Hazim, who said: “A man came to Sahl bin Sa`d and said: “Here is someone calling Ali some names on the pulpit –referring to the governor of Medina–.”

قالَ : فَيَقولُ ماذا ؟

He said: “What is he saying?”

قالَ : يَقولُ لَهُ : أبو تُرابٍ .

He answered: “He is calling him ‘Abu Turab’.”

فَضَحِكَ ؛ قالَ : وَاللّهِ ما سَمّاهُ إلَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه و آله ! وما كانَ ـ وَاللّهِ ـ لَهُ اسمٌ أحَبَّ إلَيهِ مِنهُ !

Sa`d laughed and said: “By Allah, he was named Abu Turab by the Prophet (SA), and by Allah, no other name was dearer to him than that.”

 فَاستَطعَمتُ الحَديثَ سَهلاً ،

I found the conversation of Sahl to be attractive,

وقُلتُ : يا أبا عَبّاسٍ ، كَيفَ ذلِكَ ؟

so I asked: “O Abu `Abbas, how is that so?”

 قالَ : دَخَلَ عَلِيٌّ عَلى فاطِمَةَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ ، فَاضطَجَعَ فِي المَسجِدِ ،

He said: “Ali went into the house of Fatimah, and then he came out and went to lie down in the mosque.

فَقالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه و آله : أينَ ابنُ عَمِّكِ ؟

The Prophet (SA) asked Fatimah: “Where is your cousin?”

قالَت : فِي المَسجِدِ ،

She said: “In the mosque.”

فَخَرَجَ إلَيهِ ، فَوَجَدَ رِداءَهُ قَد سَقَطَ عَن ظَهرِهِ ، وخَلَصَ التُّرابُ إلى ظَهرِهِ ، فَجَعَلَ يَمسَحُ التُّرابَ عَن ظَهرِهِ فَيَقولُ : اِجلِس يا أبا تُرابٍ ـ مَرَّتَينِ ـ .

He (SA) went ahead and found his robe fallen off his back, so he brushed the dust off his back and said twice: “Sit up, O Abu Turab.”

صحيح البخاري : ج 3 ص 1358 ح 3500 .

Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 3, p. 1358, h. 3500. 

 وقد جاء في بعض المصادر ـ في أصل هذه الكنية ـ إنّ خلافا ظهر بين الإمام والزهراء عليهماالسلام ، فترك الإمام البيت ممتعضا ، ونام في المسجد مغتاظا !
In some sources it is narrated in respect to the origin of this nickname that there was a misunderstanding between Imam Ali and Fatimah al-ZahraÞ (AS), so the Imam left the house upset to sleep in the mosque angry. 

 هكذا نُقل ، ولكنّ عصمة هذين العظيمين ، وقول الإمام فيها بعد استشهادها عليهاالسلام : «ما أغضبتني قطّ» يدلّ دلالة قاطعة على أنّ هذا القسم من النصّ موضوع منحول ، أقحمه فيه أعداؤهما ومناوئوهما .
This is what has been narrated. However, the infallibility of these two great persons, along with what the Imam (AS) has said after her martyrdom (AS), that: “She never made me angry”, clearly indicates that this part of the narration is fabricated and intentionally inserted by their rivals and enemies.