Chapter Five: The Traditions of Commandership

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.

81. كمال الدين عن جابر بن عبد اللّه الأنصاري:

81. Kamal al-Din, narrating from Jabir ibn `Abdullah al-Ansari, who said:

 لَمّا أنزَلَ اللّهُ عزّوجلّ عَلى نَبِيِّهِ مُحَمَّدٍ صلى الله عليه و آله :

 “When Allah revealed unto his Prophet Muhammad (SA) the verse:

«يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ أَطِيعُواْ اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِى الْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ» ،

 “O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and the holders of authority among you,” Qur’an, 4:59.

قُلتُ : يا رَسولَ اللّهِ ،

I said: “O Messenger of Allah,

عَرَفنَا اللّهَ ورَسولَهُ ،

we know Allah and his Messenger,

فَمَن اُولُو الأَمرِ الَّذين قَرَن اللّهُ طاعَتَهُم بِطاعَتِكَ ؟

so who are the holders of authority whose obedience God has associated with your obedience?”

فَقالَ صلى الله عليه و آله :

He (SA) said:

هُم خُلَفائي يا جابِرُ،

 “O Jabir, they are my successors

وأئِمَّةُ المُسلِمينَ مِن بَعدي ،

and the Imams of the Muslims after me.

أوَّلُهُم عَلِيُّ ابنُ أبي طالِبٍ .

The first of them is Ali ibn Abi Talib.”

كمال الدين : ص253 ح3 .

Kamal al-Din, p. 353, h. 3.

82. الإمام زين العابدين عليه السلام:

82. Imam al-Sajjad (AS) said:

 إنَّ اُولِي الأَمرِ الَّذينَ جَعَلَهُمُ اللّهُ عزّوجلّ أئِمَّةً لِلنّاسِ وأوجَبَ عَلَيهِم طاعَتَهُم :

“The holders of authority, whom Allah appointed as leaders over the people and made incumbent their obedience are

أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ عَلِيُّ بنُ أبي طالِبٍ عليه السلام ، ثُمَّ الحَسَنُ ، ثُمَّ الحُسَينُ ابنا عَلِيِّ بنِ أبي طالِبٍ،

the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib, then Hasan, then Husain, the two sons of Ali ibn Abi Talib,

ثُمَّ انتَهَى الأَمرُ إلَينا .

until the matter came to us.”

كمال الدين : ص 319 ح 2 .

Kamal al-Din, p. 219, h. 2.

83. رسول اللّه صلى الله عليه و آله :

83. The Prophet (SA) said:

إنَّ اللّهَ عزّوجلّ بَعَثَني إلَيكُم رَسولاً ،

“Allah the Exalted has sent me forth as a messenger to you

وأمَرَني أن أستَخلِفَ عَلَيكُم عَلِيّا أميرا .

and has commanded me to appoint Ali a commander over you after me.”

الأمالي للصدوق : ص492 ح669 .

Al-Amali, by al-Saduq, p. 492, h. 669.

84. عنه صلى الله عليه و آله:

84. The Prophet (SA) said:

 مَن كُنتُ نَبِيَّهُ فَعَلِيٌّ أميرُهُ .

 “Whoever has me as his prophet, Ali is his commander.”

تهذيب الأحكام : ج3 ص144 ح317 .

Tahdhib al-Ahkam, vol. 3, p. 144, h, 317.

85. رسول اللّه صلى الله عليه و آلهـ

85. The Prophet (SA) said, –

يَومَ الحُدَيبِيَّةِ وهُوَ آخِذٌ بِيَدِ عَلِيٍّ عليه السلام ـ:

on the day of al-Hudaibiyah, holding the hand of Ali (AS)–:

هذا أميرُ البَرَرَةِ ،

“This is the commander of the pious

وقاتِلُ الفَجَرَةِ ،

and the killer of the debauched.

مَنصورٌ مَن نَصَرَهُ ،

He who supports him will be supported,

مَخذولٌ مَن خَذَلَهُ ـ

and he who disappoints him will be disappointed –

يَمُدُّ بِها صَوتَهُ ـ .

raising his voice while saying it.”

تاريخ بغداد : ج 2 ص 377 الرقم 877 .

Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 2, p. 377, h. 877.

86. الكافي عن جابر :

86. Al-Kafi, narrating from Jabir:

قُلتُ لِأَبي جَعفَرٍ عليه السلام :

 “I asked Abu Ja`far [al-Baqir] (AS):

لِمَ سُمِّيَ أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ ؟

“Why was he [Ali (AS)] named the Commander of the Faithful?”

قالَ : اللّهُ سَمّاهُ .

He said: “It was Allah who named him.”

الكافي : ج1 ص412 ح4 .

Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 412, h. 4.

87. الإمام الصادق عليه السلامـ

87. Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, –

وسُئِلَ عَنِ القائِمِ عليه السلام يُسَلَّمُ عَلَيهِ بإِمرَةِ المُؤمِنينَ ؟

when he was asked about the Awaited Saviour, al-Qa’im (AS), and whether he should be greeted and addressed as the Commander of the faithful–:

فَقالَ ـ: لا ، ذاكَ اسمٌ سَمَّى اللّهُ بِهِ أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ عليه السلام ،

“Nay. That is a name by which Allah named the Commander of the Faithful (AS);

لَم يُسَمَّ بِهِ أحَدٌ قَبلَهُ ولا يَتَسَمّى بِهِ بَعدَهُ .

no one has been named by it before, nor will anyone be named by it after him.”

الكافي : ج1 ص411 ح2 .

Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 411, h. 2.