Fine Qualities

When I was with the Prophet in one of the gardens of Medina and a man came asking that the gate be opened, the Prophet said, "Open it for him and give him good news of paradise." I opened the gate for him and found He was Abu Bakr, and when I told him the good news God's messenger had given me, he praised God. Another man came and asked that the gate be opened, and the Prophet said, "Open it for him and give him good news of paradise." I opened the gate for him and found he was `Umar, and when I informed him for what the Prophet had said he praised God. Another man asked that the gate be opened, and he said, "Open it for him and give him good news of paradise after a trial which will afflict them." I found he was `Uthman, and when I informed him of what the Prophet had said he praised God and then said, "God is the One whose help is sought."(Bukhari and Muslim.)

When God's messenger was alive, we used to say, "Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Uthman, God be pleased with them!"Tirmidhi transmitted it.

When we got up and left God's messenger, we said that the good man was God's messenger and that their being joined together meant that they were the rulers over the matter with which God had sent His Prophet. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Sa`d b. Abu Waqqas told that God's messenger said to `Ali, "You are in the same position with relation to me as Aaron was with relation to Moses; but there will be no prophet after me." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Zirr b. Hubaish told that `Ali said, "I swear by Him who split the grain and created the soul that the Gentile prophet assured me that only a believer would love me and only a hypocrite would hate, me." Muslim transmitted it.

Sahl b. Sa'd told that God's messenger said on the day of Khaibar, "I shall certainly give this standard tomorrow to a man who loves God and His messenger and is loved by God and His messenger, at whose hands God will give victory." In the morning the people came to God's messenger each hoping he would be given it, but he asked, "Where is `Ali b. Abu Talib?" On being informed that he was suffering from eye trouble he told them to send for him, and when he was brought God's messenger spat in his eyes and he recovered, so that it seemed as if nothing had been wrong with him. He then gave him the standard, and he said, "Messenger of God, I shall fight with them till they are like us." He then said, "Go gently till you come to their outskirts, then invite them to accept Islam and inform them of the demands due to God which it will involve for them. I swear by God it will be better for you that God should give guidance to one man through your agency than that you should acquire the red ones among the camels[*]."*This phrase indicates camels of the most valuable breed, and is also used figuratively of anything which is valuable.(Bukhari and Muslim.)The tradition of al-Bara' in which he said to `Ali, "You pertain to me and I pertain to you," has been mentioned in the chapter on young people attaining puberty.

`Imran b. Husain reported God's messenger as saying, "`Ali pertains to me and I pertain to him, and he is the guardian of every believer." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Zaid b. Arqam reported the Prophet as saying, "When I am anyone's patron 'Ali is his patron also." Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Hubshi b. Junada reported God's messenger as saying, "`Ali pertains to me and I pertain to `Ali, and no one will conclude anything on my behalf but myself or `Ali." Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ahmad transmitted It on the authority of Abu Junada.

Ibn `Umar told that when God's messenger arranged brotherhoods among his companions `Ali came weeping and said, `You have arranged brotherhoods among your companions, but you have arranged no brotherhood between me and anyone." He replied, "You are my brother in this world and the next." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

Anas told that the Prophet had a bird and said, "0 God, bring me Thy creature who is dearest to Thee to eat this bird along with me." `Ali then came and ate along with him. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

"When I asked God's messenger for anything he gave it to me, and when I said nothing, he was the first to speak*."*Or it may mean that he gave something without being asked.Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

He reported God's messenger as saying, "I am the house of wisdom and `Ali is its door." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition, adding that some transmit this tradition on Sharik's authority without mentioning regarding it that it is transmitted on as-Sunabihl's authority. He said the only reliable authority from whom he knew this tradition was Sharik.

"On the day God's messenger sent `Ali to at-Ta'if he called him and spoke in private to him." The people said, "He has had a long private conversation with his cousin," and God's messenger replied "It was not I but God who had a private conversation with him." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id told that God's messenger said to `Ali, "It is not allowable, `Ali, for anyone but you or me to be in a state of ceremonial impurity in this mosque." `Ali b. al-Mundhir told that be asked Dirar b. Surad what was the meaning of this tradition, and he replied that the meaning was, "It is not allowable for anyone but you or me to walk through it in a state of ceremonial impurity." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

Umm `Atiya told that God's messenger sent off an army of which `Ali was a member, and that she heard God's messenger say with his arms upraised, "0 God, do not cause me to die before Thou lettest me see `Ali." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Umm Salama reported God's messenger as saying, "A hypocrite does not love `Ali and a believer does not hate him." Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan tradition whose isnad is gharib.

She reported God's messenger as saying, "He who reviles `Ali has reviled me." Ahmad transmitted it.

`Ali told that God's messenger said to him, "You have a resemblance to Jesus whom the Jews hated so much that they slandered his mother and whom the Christians loved so much that they placed him in a position not rightly his." `Ali afterwards said, "Two people will perish on my account, one who loves me so excessively that he praises me for what I do not possess, and one who hates me so much that he will be impelled by his hatred to slander me." Ahmad transmitted it.

Al-Bara bin Azib and Zaid b. Arqam told that when God's Messenger alighted at the pool of Khumm[1] he took `Ali by the hand and asked those present, "Do you not know that I am closer to the believers than they themselves[2]?"and they replied, "Certainly." He then asked, "Do you not know that I am nearer to every believer than he himself?" and they replied, "Certainly." He then said, "0 God, he whose patron I am has `Ali as his patron. 0 God, be friendly to those who are friendly to him and hostile to those who are hostile to him." After that `Umar met him and said, "Congratulations, son of Abu Talib. Morning and evening you are the patron of every believing man and woman." Near al-Juhfa, a place four stages from Mecca on the way to Medina. cf. Quran, 33:6.Ahmad transmitted it.