Chapter One: Learning in the School of the Prophet

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 شِدَّةُ اهتِمامِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و آله بِتَعليمِهِ

The Prophet’s Attention to His Education

806. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام :

806. Imam Ali (AS) said:

كُنتُ إذا سَأَلتُهُ [ صلى الله عليه و آله ] أجابَني،

“Whenever I questioned him, he would answer me,

وإذا سَكَتُّ عَنهُ وفَنِيَت مَسائِلِي ابتَدَأَني.

and if I remained silent having exhausted my questions, he would start speaking to me.”

الكافي : ج 1 ص 64 ح 1 .

Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 64, h. 1.

807. عنه عليه السلام :

807. Imam Ali (AS) said:

ولَيسَ كُلُّ أصحابِ رَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله مَن كان يَسأَلُهُ

“Not all the companions of the Messenger of God (SA) would ask

ويَستَفهِمُهُ ،

and seek understanding from him,

حَتّى إن كانوا لَيُحِبّونَ أن يَجيءَ الأَعرابيُّ وَالطّارِئُ ،

such that they loved that a Bedouin or a stranger should come

فَيَسأَلَهُ عليه السلام حَتّى يَسمَعوا ،

and ask him (SA) so that they would also listen.

وكانَ لا يَمُرُّ بي مِن ذلِكَ شَيءٌ إلّا سَأَلتُهُ عَنهُ وحَفِظتُهُ .

However, I would frequently ask him and commit it to memory.”

نهج البلاغة : الخطبة 210 .

Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 210.

808. عنه عليه السلام:

808. Imam Ali (AS) said:

 وقَد كُنتُ أدخُلُ عَلى رَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله كُلَّ يَومٍ دَخلَةً وكُلَّ لَيلَةٍ دَخلَةً ،

“I used to enter upon the Messenger of God (SA) every day and night

فَيُخَلّيني فيها أدورُ مَعَهُ حَيثُ دارَ ،

to the exclusion of others and follow him wherever he went.

وقَد عَلِمَ أصحابُ رَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله أنَّهُ لَم يَصنَع ذلِكَ بِأَحَدٍ مِنَ النّاسِ غَيري ،

The companions of the Prophet (SA) knew that he had not acted in this manner with anyone else.

فَرُبَّما كانَ في بَيتي يَأتيني رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله أكثَرُ ذلِكَ في بَيتي ،

The Prophet (SA) would enter upon me more often at my house.

وكُنتُ إذا دَخَلتُ عَلَيهِ بَعضَ مَنازِلِهِ أخلاني ،

If I visited him, he made room for me

وأقامَ عَنّي نِساءَهُ .

and ask his wives to leave,

فلا يَبقى عِندَهُ غَيري .

that I may be alone with him.

 وإذا أتاني لِلخَلوَةِ مَعي في مَنزِلي لَم تَقُم عَنّي فاطِمَةُ ولا أحَدٌ من بَنِيَّ ،

If he visited me, however, Fatima and my sons would never leave.

وكُنتُ إذا سَأَلتُهُ أجابَني ،

If I questioned him, he answered,

وإذا سَكَتُّ عَنهُ وفَنِيَت مَسائِلِي ابتَدَأَني .

and if I remained quiet having exhausted my questions, he would start speaking to me.

 فَما نَزَلَت عَلى رَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله آيَةٌ مِنَ القُرآنِ

Not a verse from the Quran was revealed to the Messenger of God (SA)

إلّا أقرَأَنيها ،

except that he recited

وأملاها عَلَيَّ ،

and dictated it to me

فَكَتَبتُها بِخَطّي

that I might record it.

وعَلَّمَني تَأويلَها وتَفسيرَها ،

He taught me its interpretation and commentary,

وناسِخَها ومَنسوخَها ،

its abrogating and its abrogated,

ومُحكَمَها ومُتشابِهَها ،

its clear and its ambiguous,

وخاصَّها وعامَّها ،

its specific and its general.

ودَعَا اللّهَ أن يُعطِيَني فَهمَها وحِفظَها ،

He prayed to God to grant me its comprehension and memorization.

فَما نَسيتُ آيَةً مِن كِتابِ اللّهِ ،

So I have not forgotten any verse from the Book of God

ولا عِلما أملاهُ عَلَيَّ وكَتَبتُهُ ،

nor any from of knowledge that he dictated to me and I recorded,

مُنذُ دَعَا اللّهَ لي بِما دَعا .

since he prayed for me.

 وما تَرَكَ شَيئا عَلَّمَهُ اللّهُ مِن حَلالٍ ولا حَرامٍ ،

He did not leave anything that God taught him, by way of the permissible [halal] and the impermissible [haram],

ولا أمرٍ ولا نَهيٍ ،

the command and the prohibition,

كانَ أو يَكونُ ،

whether it was or is,

ولا كِتابٍ مُنزَلٍ عَلى أحَدٍ قَبلَهُ مِن طاعَةٍ أو مَعصِيَةٍ ،

nor a book revealed to a prophet before him, be it of obedience or disobedience,

إلّا عَلَّمَنيهِ وحَفِظتُهُ ،

except that he taught it to me and I memorised it,

فَلَم أنسَ حَرفا واحِدا .

so I have not forgotten a single letter of it.

 ثُمَّ وَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلى صَدري ،

He then placed his hand on my chest

ودَعَا اللّهَ لي أن يَملَأَ قَلبي عِلما وفَهما ،

and prayed to God to fill my heart with knowledge,

وحُكما ونورا ،

understanding, wisdom and light.

فَقُلتُ : يا نَبِيَّ اللّهِ ! بِأَبي أنتَ واُمّي ،

I said to him:
O Prophet of God, may my parents be sacrificed for you,

مُنذُ دَعَوتَ اللّهَ لي بِما دَعَوتَ لَم أنسَ شَيئا ،

since you have prayed for me, I have not forgotten anything,

ولَم يَفُتني شَيءٌ لَم أكتُبهُ ،

nor have I missed anything but that I recorded it.

أفَتَتَخَوَّفُ عَلَيَّ النِّسيانَ فيما بَعدُ ؟

Do you still fear forgetfulness for me?

 فَقالَ : لا ، لَستُ أتَخَوَّفُ عَلَيكَ النِّسيانَ وَالجَهلَ .

He said: No, I do not fear for you forgetfulness or ignorance.”

الكافي : ج1 ص64 ح1 .

Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 64, h. 1.

ب ـ عَلَّمَهُ ألفَ بابٍ

He Taught Him a Thousand Branches (of Knowledge)

809. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام :

809. Imam Ali (AS) said:

عَلَّمَني[ صلى الله عليه و آله ] ألفَ بابٍ مِنَ العِلمِ ،

“He (SA) taught me a thousand sorts of knowledge

فَتَحَ لي كُلُّ بابٍ ألفَ بابٍ .

each of which opens up another thousand sorts.”

الإرشاد : ج 1 ص 34 .

Al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 34.

810. عنه عليه السلام:

810.Imam Ali (AS) said:

 إنَّ رَسولَ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله عَلَّمَني ألفَ بابٍ مِنَ الحَلالِ وَالحَرامِ ،

“The Messenger of God (SA) taught me a thousand modes of the permissible [halal] and the impermissible [haram],

ومِمّا كانَ ومِمّا يَكونُ إلى يَومِ القِيامَةِ ،

that which was and that which is up to the Day of Judgement.

كُلُّ بابٍ مِنها يَفتَحُ ألفَ بابٍ ،

Every mode [of knowledge] opens up another thousand modes,

فَذلِكَ ألفُ ألفِ بابٍ

so that is a million modes.

حَتّى عُلِّمتُ عِلمَ المَنايا وَالبَلايا

I have even been taught knowledge of deaths and tribulations

وفَصلَ الخِطابِ .

and sound judgement.”

الخصال : ص646 ح30 .

Al-Khisal, p. 646, h. 30.

ج ـ إملاءُ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و آله وكِتابَةُ عَلِيٍّ عليه السلام

Dictation of the Prophet and Recording of Ali

811. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام :

811. Imam Ali (AS) said:

إنَّ كُلَّ آيَةٍ أنزَلَهَا اللّهُ ـ جَلَّ وعَلا ـ عَلى مُحَمَّدٍ صلى الله عليه و آله عِندي بِإِملاءِ رَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله وخَطِّ يَدي ،

“Every verse God - Exalted and High is He - revealed to Muhammad (SA) is with me, having been dictated by the Messenger of God and recorded by my handwriting.

وتَأويلُ كُلِّ آيَةٍ أنزَلَهَا اللّهُ عَلى مُحَمَّدٍ صلى الله عليه و آله ،

The interpretation of every verse God revealed on Muhammad (SA),

وكُلُّ حَرامٍ وحَلالٍ ،

every permissible [halal] and impermissible [haram],

أو حَدٍّ أو حُكمٍ ،

or legal punishment or ruling

أو شَيءٍ تَحتاجُ إلَيهِ الاُمَّةُ إلى يَومِ القِيامَةِ

or anything the Community [of Islam] needs up to the Day of Judgement

مَكتوبٌ بِإملاءِ رَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله

is written with me through the dictation of the Messenger of God (SA)

وخَطِّ يَدي ،

and my handwriting,

حَتّى أرشُ الخَدشِ .

even the penalty for the injury of a scratch.”

الاحتجاج : ج 1 ص 356 ح 56 .

Al-Ihtijaj, vol. 1, p. 356, h. 56.