Chapter Two: His Upgrowth

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.

 9. الإمام عليّ عليه السلامـ في خُطبَتِهِ المُسَمّاةِ بِالقاصِعَةِ ـ:  

9. Imam Ali (AS) said, in his sermon al-Qasi`ah:

أنَا وَضَعتُ فِي الصِّغَرِ بِكَلاكِلِ العَرَبِ ،

 “Even in my boyhood I had lowered the chest of [the chiefs of] Arabia

وكَسَرتُ نَواجِمَ قُرونِ رَبيعَةَ ومُضَرَ ،

and broken the horn points [i.e., defeated the lords and mastres] of the tribes of Rabi`a and Muzar.

وقَد عَلِمتُم مَوضِعي مِن رَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله بِالقَرابَةِ القَريبَةِ ، وَالمَنزِلَةِ الخَصيصَةِ ؛ وَضَعَني في حِجرِهِ

You know my position of close kinship and special relationship with the Messenger of Allah (SA). When I was but a child, he took charge of me.

وأنَا وَلَدٌ يَضُمُّني إلى صَدرِهِ ،

He used to press me to his chest

ويَكنُفُني في فِراشِهِ ،

and lay me beside him in his bed,

ويُمِسُّني جَسَدَهُ ،

bringing his body close to mine

ويُشِمُّني عَرفَهُ ،

and making me smell his fragrance.

وكان يَمضَغُ الشَّيءَ ثُمَّ يُلقِمُنيهِ ،

He used to chew something and feed me with it.

وما وَجَدَ لي كَذبَةً في قَولٍ ،

He found no lie in my speaking,

ولا خَطلَةً في فِعلٍ .

no weakness in any act.

 ولَقَد قَرَنَ اللّهُ بِهِ صلى الله عليه و آله مِن لَدُن أن كانَ فَطيما أعظَمَ مَلَكٍ مِن مَلائِكَتِهِ ؛

Allah had linked a mighty angel to him from the time of his infancy

يَسلُكُ بِهِ طَريقَ المَكارِمِ ،

to take him along the path of high character

ومَحاسِنَ أخلاقِ العالَمِ ، لَيلَهُ ونَهارَهُ .

and good behaviour through day and night,

ولَقَد كُنتُ أتَّبِعُهُ اتِّباعَ الفَصيلِ أثَرَ اُمِّهِ

while I used to follow him like a young camel following in the footprints of its mother.

يَرفَعُ لي في كُل يَومٍ من أخلاقِهِ عَلَما ،

Every day he would show me, in the form of a banner, some of his high traits

ويأمُرُني بِالاِقتِداءِ بِهِ .

and commanded me to follow them.

ولَقَد كانَ يُجاوِرُ في كُلِّ سَنَةٍ بِحِراءَ ،

Every year he would go in seclusion to the Cave of Hira’,

فَأَراهُ ولا يَراهُ غَيري .

where no one, save me, could see him.

ولَم يَجمَع بَيتٌ واحِدٌ يَومَئِذٍ فِي الإِسلامِ غَيرَ رَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله وخَديجَةَ وأنَا ثالِثُهُما،

No single house in Islam would then bring together anyone other than the Messenger of Allah (SA) and Khadijah, and I was the third of them.

أرى نورَ الوَحيِ وَالرِّسالَةِ ،

I used to see the light of divine revelation and the Message

وأشُمُّ ريحَ النُّبُوَّةِ .

and smell the scent of Prophethood.”

نهج البلاغة : الخطبة 192 .

Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 192.