Chapter Two: Breaking the Idols

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.

16. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام:

16. Imam Ali (AS) said:

 لَمّا كانَ اللَّيلَةُ الَّتي أمَرَني رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله أن أبيتَ عَلى فِراشِهِ

“On the night the Messenger of Allah (SA) ordered me to sleep in his bed

وخَرَجَ مِن مَكَّةَ مُهاجِرا ،

and left to migrate from Mecca,

اِنطَلَقَ بي رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله إلَى الأَصنامِ فَقالَ :

he took me towards the idols and said:

اِجلِس ،

 “Sit down.”

فَجَلَستُ إلى جَنبِ الكَعبَةِ ،

I sat close to the Ka`bah,

ثُمَّ صَعِدَ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله عَلى مَنكِبي ،

and then he mounted on my shoulders

ثُمَّ قالَ : اِنهَض ،

and said: “Stand up.”

فَنَهَضتُ بِهِ فَلَمّا رَأى ضَعفي تَحتَهُ

I stood up holding him, and when he saw that I was not able to carry him,

قالَ : اِجلِس ،

he said: “Sit down.”

فَجَلَستُ فَأَنزَلتُهُ عَنّي وجَلَسَ لي رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله ،

So, I sat down, and he dismounted off me. The Messenger of Allah (SA) sat down

ثُمَّ قالَ لي :

and said to me:

يا عَلِيُّ ، اِصعَد عَلى مَنكِبي

 “O Ali, mount on my shoulders.”

فَصَعِدتُ عَلى مَنكِبَيهِ ،

I mounted on his shoulders,

ثُمَّ نَهَضَ بي رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله وخُيِّلَ إلَيَّ أ نّي لَو شِئتُ نِلتُ السَّماءَ ،

and the Messenger of Allah (SA) raised me up. I had a feeling that I could touch the sky if I wanted to.

وصَعِدتُ إلَى الكَعبَةِ وتَنَحّى رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله فَأَلقَيتُ صَنَمَهُمُ الأَكبَرَ ،

I climbed up onto the top of the Ka`bah, and the Messenger of Allah (SA) stepped aside. I then grabbed the largest idol,

وكانَ مِن نُحاسٍ مُوَتَّدا بِأَوتادٍ مِن حَديدٍ إلَى الأَرضِ ،

which was made of copper and fixed to the ground by pegs of iron.

فَقالَ لي رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله :

The Messenger of Allah said to me:

عالِجهُ

 “Shake it off.”

فَعالَجتُ فَما زِلتُ اُعالِجُهُ ويَقولُ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله :

I kept shaking it off, and the Messenger of Allah (SA) continued to say:

إيهِ إيهِ ،

 “Yes, yes.”

فَلَم أزَل اُعالِجُهُ حَتَّى استَمكَنتُ مِنهُ

I continued to shake it until I was able to wrench it off its base,

فَقالَ : دُقَّهُ ،

so he then said: “Knock it down.”

فَدَقَقتُهُ فَكَسَّرتُهُ ونَزَلتُ .

So, I knocked it down smashing it, and then I descended.”

المستدرك على الصحيحين : ج3 ص6 ح4265 .

Al-Mustadrak `ala al-Sahihain, vol. 3, p. 6, h. 4265.