وروي أنه ذكر عند عمر بن الخطاب في أيامه حَلْي الكعبةِ وكثرتُهُ، فقال قوم: لو أخذته فجهزتَ به جيوش المسلمين كان أَعظم للاَجر، وما تصنع الكعبةُ بالْحَلْي؟ فهمّ عمر بذلك، وسأل عنه أميرالمؤمنين عليه السلام . فقال:
It is related that during the days of (Caliph) 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, the question of the excess of the ornaments of the Ka'bah was mentioned to him and some people suggested: If you prepare with it an army of Muslims that will be a matter of great reward; and what would the Ka'bah do with the ornaments? 'Umar thought of doing so but asked Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, who said:
إِنَّ القُرْآنَ أُنْزِلَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وآله وَالاْمْوَالُ أَرْبَعَةٌ:
When the Qur'an was descended on the Prophet, peace be upon him and his descendants, there were four kinds of property.
أَمْوَالُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَقَسَّمَهَا بَيْنَ الْوَرَثَةِ فِي الْفَرَائِضِ،
One, the property of Muslim individuals which he distributed among the successors according to fixed shares.
وَالْفَيْءُ فَقَسَّمَهُ عَلَى مُسْتَحِقِّيهِ،
Second, the tax (fay') which he distributed to those for whom it was meant.
وَالْخُمُسُ فَوَضَعَهُ اللهُ حَيْثُ وَضَعَهُ،
Third, the one-fifth (khums) levy for which Allah had fixed the ways of disposal.
وَالصَّدَقَاتُ فَجَعَلَهَا اللهُ حَيْثُ جَعَلَهَا.
Fourth, amounts of charity (sadaqat) whose disposal was also fixed by Allah.
وَكَانَ حَلْيُ الْكَعْبَةِ فِيهَا يَوْمَئِذٍ،
The ornaments of Ka'bah did exist in those days
فَتَرَكَهُ اللهُ عَلَى حَالِهِ،
but Allah left them as they were,
وَلَمْ يَتْرُكْهُ نِسْيَاناً،
but did not leave them by omission,
وَلَمْ يَخْفَ عَلَيْهِ مَكَاناً،
nor were they unknown to Him.
فَأَقِرَّهُ حَيْثُ أَقَرَّهُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ.
Therefore, you retain them where Allah and His Prophet placed them.
فقال له عمر: لولاك لافتضحنا. وترك الحَلْي بحاله.
Thereupon, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said: If you had not been here we would have been humiliated; and he left the ornaments as they were. 69
69. Among the first three Caliphs, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab often used to call upon Amir al-mu'minin for the solution of many unsolved problems and so as to benefit from his vast knowledge. But Abu Bakr, due to the short period of his caliphate, and 'Uthman, due to the special circumstances of his caliphate and his entourage, seldom used to call on Amir al-mu'minin and benefit from his advice. 'Umar used to praise Amir al-mu'minin very much for his vast knowledge, saying: The most knowledgeable person among us in jurisprudence and judgement is 'Ali. (as-Sahih, al-Bukhari, vol.6, p.23; al-Musnad, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, vol.5, p.113; al-Mustadrak, al-Hakim, vol.3, p.305; at- Tabaqat, Ibn Sa'd, vol.2, part 2, p.102; al-Isti'ab, vol.3, p.1102) Certainly, there is no need for the evidence of 'Umar and others in this field when 'Umar himself and a group of the Companions confess that the Holy Prophet used to say: 'Ali is the most knowledgeable in jurisprudence and judgement among my ummah (Muslim community). (Akhbar al-qudat, Waki', vol.1, p.78; Masabih, as-sunnah, al-Baghawi, vol.2, p.203; al-Isti`ab, vol. 1, pp.16- 17: vol.3, p.1102; ar-Riyad-an-nadirah, vol.2, p.108; as-Sunan, Ibn Majah, vol.1, p.55) In this connection, Ahmad ibn Hanbal narrates from Abu Hazim that a certain man approached Mu'awiyah and put to him some questions on religion. Mu'awiyah said, "Refer this question to 'All who possesses better knowledge." The man said, "But I would rather have your reply than that of `Ali." Mu'awiyah silenced him and said, "It is the worst thing I have heard from you. You have expressed hate towards the person whom the Messenger of Allah' used to coach and tutor as a mother bird feeds a nestling by putting grain after grain into the mouth of the nestling with its beak and to whom the Messenger of Allah said: You hold the same position in relation to me as Harun held in relation to Musa except that there shall, in all certainty, be no prophet after me; and to whom 'Umar used to turn for the solution of unsolved problems." (Fayd al-qadir, al-Munawi, vol.3, p.46; ar-Riyad, an-nadirah, vol.2, p.l95: as-Sawa`iq al-muhriqah, p. 107; Fath al-bari, vol.17, p.105) Also 'Umar used to say frequently: Women lack. the ability to give birth to such as 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. Had it not been for 'Ali, 'Umar would have been finished. (Ta'wil mukhtalaf al-hadith, Ibn Qutaybah, p.202; al-Isti'ab, vol.3, p.1103; Qudat al-Undulus, al-Maliqi, p.73; ar-Riyad an-nadirah, vol.2, p. 194; al-Manaqib, al-Khwarazmi, p.39; Yanabi' al-mawaddah, pp.75, 373: Fayd al-qadir, vol.4, p.356) He also used to say: I seek the protection of Allah from the problems in which Abu'l-Hasan ('Ali) is not present! (al-Isti'ab, vol.3, pp.1102-1103; a;-Tabaqat, vol.2, part 2, p.102; Sifatu 's-safwah, Ibn al-Jawzi, vol.1, p.121; Usd al-ghabah, vol.4, pp.22-23; al-Isabah, vol.2, p.509: at-Tarikh, Ibn Kathir, vol.7, p.360) 'Umar often addressed Amir al-mu'minin, thus: O Abu'l-Hasan, I seek the protection of Allah from being in a community among which you are not found. (al-Mustadrak, vol.1, pp. 457-458; at-Tafsir, Fakhr ad-Din ar-Razi, vol.32, p.10; ad-Durr al-manthur, as-Suyuti, vol.3, p.144; ar-Riyad an-nadirah, vol.2, p. 197; Fayd al-qadir, vol.3, p.46; vol.4, p. 356; as-Sawa'iq al-muhriqah, p. 107) Above all these confessions is the acknowledgement by the Holy Prophet of Amir al-mu'minin as narrated by 'Umar ibn al-Khatib himself, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and Mu'adh ibn Jabal that the Holy Prophet said: O 'Ali, I have exceeded you in prophethood, for there will be no prophet after me, and you exceed others in seven noble qualities. You are: i) the first who believed in Allah, ii) the best fulfiller of the promise made to Allah, iii) the best adherer to the commandments of Allah, iv) the most equitable distributor among the people, v) the best dispenser of justice (or the most clement) to the (Muslims) subjects, vi) the one who has the best insight into controversial cases, (or the most learned in judgement), and vii) the most conspicuous in virtue and honour before Allah. (Hilyah al-awliya', vol.1, pp.65, 66; ar-Riayd an-nadirah, vol.2, p.198; al-Manaqib, al-Khwarazmi, p.61; Kanz al-'ummal vol.12, p.214; Ibn Abi'l-Hadid, vol.13, p.230) It is also narrated by Amir al-mu'minin, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Ma'qil ibn Yasir and Buraydah ibn Husayb that the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.a. h.p.) said to Fatimah (p.b.u.h.) that: Are you not satisfied? Surely, I have married you to the foremost of my ummah who believes in Islam, and the most knowledgeable among them and superior among them in clemency. (al-Musnad, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, vol.5, p.26;al-Musannaf, as -San'ani, vol.5, p.490; al-Isti'ab, vol.3, p.1099; Usd al-ghabah, vol.5, p.520;Kanzal-'ummal vol .12, p.205; vol.15, p.99; Majma' az-zawa'id, vol.9, pp.101, 114; as-Sirah al-halabiyyah, vol.1, p.285) After we read the following saying of the Holy Prophet, it is no surprise for us to note that the above acknowledgements of the vast knowledge of Amir al-mu'minin and his efficiency in the field of jurisprudence and judgement were made. I am the city of knowledge and 'Ali is its gate; he who wants to acquire (my) knowledge must come through the gate. (al-Mustadrak, vol.3, pp.l26,127; al-Isti'ab, vol.3, p.1l02; Usd al-ghabah, vol.4, p.22; Tahdhib at-tahdhib, vol.6, pp.320-32l; vol.7, p.337; Majma' az-zawa'id, vol.9, p.114; Kanz al-'ummal, vol.12, pp.201, 212; vol.15, pp.l29-130) Also, the Holy Prophet said: I am the store-house of wisdom and 'Ali is its gate. He who wants to acquire wisdom must come through the gate. (al-Jami' as-sahih, at- Tirmidhi, vol.5, pp.637-638; Hilyah al-awliya', vol-i, p-64; Masabih. as-sunnah, al-Baghawi, vol.2, p.275; ar-Riyad an-nadirah, vol.2, p.193; Kanz al-'ummal, vol.12, p.201)
