Chapter Four: The Traditions of Rank

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.

74. رسول اللّه صلى الله عليه و آلهـ لِعَلِيٍّ عليه السلام ـ:

74. The Prophet (SA) said, to Ali (AS):

أنتَ مِنّي بِمَنزِلَةِ هارونَ مِن موسى ،

“You are in relation to me as Aaron was in relation to Moses,

إلّا أنَّهُ لا نَبِيَّ بَعدي .

except that there is no prophet after me.”

سنن الترمذي : ج5 ص641 ح3730 .

Sunan al-Tirmidhi, vol. 5, p. 641, h. 3730.

75. الإمام الصادق عن آبائه عليهم السلام:

75. Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, narrating from his forefathers (AS), who said:

لَقَد قالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه و آله لِعَلِيٍّ عليه السلام في عَشَرَةِ مَواضِعَ :

“The Prophet (SA) said to Ali on ten occasions:

أنتَ مِنّي بِمَنزِلَةِ هارونَ مِن موسى .

 “You are in relation to me as Aaron was in relation to Moses.”

ينابيع المودّة : ج2 ص302 ح866 .

Yanabi` al-Mawaddah, vol. 2, p. 302, h. 866.

76. كنز الفوائد عن أبي رافع :

76. Kanz al-`Ummal, narrating from Abu Rafi`, who said:

إنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه و آله جَمَعَ بَني عَبدِ المُطَّلِبِ فِي الشِّعبِ . . .

 “The Prophet (SA) gathered the clan of `Abd al Muttalib in the ravine (shi`ab)....

فَقالَ : إنَّ اللّهَ عزّوجلّ أمَرَني أن اُنذِرَ عَشيرَتِي الأَقرَبينَ ورَهطِي المُخلِصينَ ،

and said: “Allah has commanded me to warn my close kindred and my faithful folk

وإنَّ اللّهَ تَعالى لَم يَبعَث نَبِيّا

that Allah the Sublime has never sent a prophet

إلّا جَعَلَ لَهُ مِن أهلِهِ أخا ، ووارِثا ، ووَزيرا ، ووَصِيّا ، وخَليفَةً في أهلِهِ ،

without appointing for him a brother of his family, an inheritor, an agent, an executor and a vicegerent over his folks.

فَأَيُّكُم يُبايِعُني عَلى أنَّهُ أخي ووَزيري ووارِثي دونَ أهلي ،

So, which one of you shall give me pledge of allegiance, that he will be my brother, agent, and inheritor among my folks,

ويَكونُ مِنّي بِمَنزِلَةِ هارونَ مِن موسى إلّا أنَّهُ لا نَبِيَّ بَعدي ؟

and be in relation to me as Aaron was in relation to Moses, except that there is no prophet after me?”

فَسَكَتَ القَومُ .

The people kept silent.

فَأَعادَ الكَلامَ عَلَيهِم ثَلاثَ مَرّاتٍ ،

He repeated his words three times,

وقالَ : وَاللّهِ ،

and then he said: “By Allah,

لَيَقومَنَّ قائِمُكُم أو يَكونُ في غَيرِكُم ،

one of you should stand forth, or it will be entrusted to other people,

ثُمَّ لَتُذَمُّنَّ !

and you will be rebuked!”

قالَ : فَقامَ عَلِيٌّ عليه السلام

He [the narrator] said: “Ali (AS) then stood up,

وهُم يَنظُرونَ كُلُّهُم إلَيهِ ،

and everyone was looking at him,

فَبايَعَهُ ،

so he gave him pledge of allegiance,

وأجابَهُ إلى ما دَعاهُ .

and responded to what he called him.”

كنز الفوائد : ج2 ص177 .

Kanz al-Fawa’id: vol. 2, p. 177.

77. فضائل الصحابة لابن حنبل عن محدوج بن زيد:

77. Faza’il al-Sahabah, by Ibn Hanbal, narrating from Mahduj ibn Zaid, who said:

 إنَّ رَسولَ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله آخى بَينَ المُسلِمينَ ،

 “The Messenger of Allah (SA) fraternized between the Muslims,

ثُمَّ قالَ : يا عَلِيُّ ،

then he said: “O Ali,

أنتَ أخي ،

You are my brother,

وأنتُ مِنّي بِمَنزِلَةِ هارونَ مِن موسى ،

and you are in relation to me as Aaron was in relation to Moses,

غَيرَ أنَّهُ لا نَبِيَّ بَعدي .

except that there is no prophet after me.”

فضائل الصحابة لابن حنبل : ج2 ص663 ح1131 .

Faza’il al-Sahabah, by Ibn Hanbal, vol. 2, p. 663, h. 1131.

78. رسول اللّه صلى الله عليه و آله :

78. The Prophet (SA) said:

إنَّ رِجالاً يَجِدونَ في أنفُسِهِم في أنّي أسكَنتُ عَلِيّا فِي المَسجِدِ ،

“Some men upset that I lodged Ali in the mosque.

وَاللّهِ ما أخرَجتُهُم ، ولا أسكَنتُهُ ،

By Allah, neither I moved them out, nor did I lodge him from myself.

إنَّ اللّهَ عزّوجلّ أوحى إلى موسى وأخيهِ :

Allah, the Sublime and Mighty, revealed unto Moses and his brother:

«أَن تَبَوَّءَا لِقَوْمِكُمَا بِمِصْرَ بُيُوتًا وَ اجْعَلُواْ بُيُوتَكُمْ قِبْلَةً وَ أَقِيمُواْ الصَّلَوةَ» ، يونس : 87 .

“Settle your people in houses in Egypt, and make your houses places of worship, and maintain the prayer.” Qur’an, 10:87. [The word that is used in this verse is misr, which could mean Egypt, the city, or according to a tradition from Imam al-Sadiq (AS) [in Tafsir al-Qummi] it is Bayt al-Maqdis.]

وأمَرَ موسى ألّا يَسكُنَ مَسجِدَهُ ،

and He ordered Moses to allow no one to dwell in his mosque,

ولا يَنكِحَ فيهِ ،

to have sexual intercourse in it, or to enter it,

ولا يَدخُلَهُ إلّا هارونُ وذُرِّيَّتُهُ ،

to the exclusion of Aaron and his progeny.

وإنَّ عَلِيّا مِنّي بِمَنزِلَةِ هارونَ مِن موسى ،

Ali is in relation to me as Aaron was in relation to Moses.

وهُوَ أخي دونَ أهلي ،

From among all my family, only he is my brother;

ولا يَحِلُّ مَسجِدي لِأَحَدٍ يَنكِحُ فيهِ النِّساءَ إلّا عَلِيٌّ وذُرِّيَّتُهُ ،

and it is not permissible for anyone to have sexual intercourse in my mosque, except Ali and his progeny.

فَمَن ساءَهُ فَهاهُنا ـ وأومَأَ بِيَدِهِ نَحوَ الشّامِ ـ .

Whosoever feels unhappy about that, they can go that way – and he pointed towards Syria.”

المناقب لابن المغازلي : ص255 ح303 .

Al-Manaqib, by Ibn al-Maghazili, p. 255, h. 303.

79. المناقب لابن المغازلي عن جابر بن عبد اللّه :

Al-Manaqib, by Ibn al-Maghazili, narrating from Jabir ibn `Abdullah al-Ansari, who said:

لَمّا قَدِمَ عَلِيُّ بنُ أبي طالِبٍ بِفَتحِ خَيبَرَ قالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه و آله :

“When Ali ibn Abi Talib came back after the conquest of Khaibar, the Prophet (SA) said to him:

يا عَلِيُّ ،

“O Ali,

لَولا أن تَقولَ طائِفَةٌ مِن اُمَّتي فيكَ ما قالَتِ النَّصارى في عيسَى بنِ مَريَمَ

if it was not that a group of my nation might say about you what the Christians said about Jesus son of Mary,

لَقُلتُ فيكَ مَقالاً لا تَمُرُّ بِمَلَأٍ مِنَ المُسلِمينَ

I would have uttered about you words whenever you pass by a number of Muslims,

إلّا أخَذُوا التُّرابَ مِن تَحتِ رِجلَيكَ ،

they would take the dust from under your feet

وفَضلِ طَهورِكَ ؛

and the remainder of your ablution,

يَستَشفونَ بِهِما ،

healing themselves with it.

ولكِن حَسبُكَ أن تَكونَ مِنّي . . .

But it is sufficient for you to be in relation to me...

بِمَنزِلَةِ هارونَ مِن موسى ،

as Aaron was in relation to Moses,

غَيرَ أنَّهُ لا نَبِيَّ بَعدي .

except that there is no prophet after me.”

المناقب لابن المغازلي : ص237 ح285 .

Al-Manaqib, by Ibn al-Maghazili, p. 237, h. 285.

80. صحيح البخاري عن سعد بن أبي وقّاص :

80. Sahih al-Bukhari, narrating from Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas:

إنَّ رَسولَ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله خَرَجَ إلى تَبوكَ وَاستَخلَفَ عَلِيّا ،

 “The Messenger of Allah (SA) went forth for the Battle of Tabuk and appointed Ali as his vicegerent.

فَقالَ : أ تُخَلِّفُني فِي الصِّبيانِ وَالنِّساءِ ؟ !

Ali said: “Do you leave me with the women and children?”

قالَ : أ لا تَرضى أن تَكونَ مِنّي بِمَنزِلَةِ هارونَ مِن موسى ،

He (SA) said: “Would you not be well pleased to be in relation to me as Aaron was in relation to

إلّا أنَّهُ لَيسَ نَبِيٌّ بَعدي ! !

Moses, except that there is no prophet after me?”

(تَبُوك : منطقة في وسط الطريق الرابط بين المدينة ودمشق، شمال غربيّ المدينة، وجنوب دمشق . حشّد النبيّ صلى الله عليه و آله فيها جيشا في السنة التاسعة للهجرة لإخضاع عرب الشمال، ولكن لم تقُم حرب .)

[Tabuk is a place half way on the path between Medina and Damascus, to the north- west of Medina and south of Damascus. The Prophet (SA) mobilised an army in the ninth year AH to subdue the Arabs of the north, but there was no war.]

صحيح البخاري: ج4 ص1602 ح4154 .

Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 4, p. 1602, h. 4154.