Shi'a view of Ali

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Shi'a twelvers artist's painting of Ali, without depicting his face

This is a sub-article to Shi'a and Ali

This article is about the Shia view of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth Sunni Caliph and first Shia Imam, which is accepted by most Western scholars, who usually reject the Sunni view.

1 Shi'a biography
2 Titles
- 2.1 Famous Hadith used by the Shi'a
3 Works
4 Criticism
- 4.1 Sunni view of the Shi'a view
- 4.2 Non-Muslim view of the Shi'a view
5 Parallel articles
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Shi'a biography

[edit] Early life

Image Commonly used in Iran and Iraq indicating one artist's conception of Ali's appearance

In a Muslim tradition regarded as authentic by Shias and included in Mawaddat al-Qurba and Peshawar Nights, Alis mother Fatima bint Asad named him after her father, Asad. Abu Talib did not agree with her and said:

"O Fatima! Let us go to the Qubais hills, and invoke Allah (some reporters say that he said they should go to the Al-Masjid al-Haram). He may tell us the name of this child."

The answer to the prayer was Ali, derived from one of 99 Names of God, Al Ali (The Exalted) ^ref.

[edit] Muhammad's era

According to a famous tradition, much-quoted by the Shia, Muhammad arranged a dinner for the entire Banu Hashim, where he openly declared his prophethood and call to Tawheed. After having said that the first one to join him would lead with him and be his successor, and three invitations, Ali was the only one ready to embrace Islam. Then another dinner guest joked with Abu Talib saying that he was now under the command of his son. ^[1]

[edit] Abu Bakr's era

Shia believe that the reason Ali did not aid Abu Bakr in the Rida wars was that those getting killed by Abu Bakr were his Shia.

[edit] Umar's era

Ali Asgher Razwy, a 20th century Shi'a Twelver Islamic scholar states:

Umar, on his deathbed, had appointed six Muhajireen as members of a panel which was to choose one out of themselves as the future khalifa of the Muslims. They were Ali ibn Abi Talib, Uthman, Talha, Zubayr, Abdur Rahman bin Auf and Saad bin Abi Waqqas. Except Ali, all other members of the panel were capitalists, or rather, neo-capitalists. When they came from Makkah, they were penniless and homeless but within twelve years, i.e., from the death of Muhammad Mustafa in 632 to the death of Umar in 644, each of them, except Ali, had become rich like Croesus. Between these two dates, they had accumulated immense wealth, and had become the richest men of their times.

Ali did not qualify as a member of this exclusive "club" but Umar admitted him anyway. Apart from the fact that Ali made his living as a gardener whereas his other five co-members lived on the revenues of their lands and estates, there was another gulf, even more unbridgeable, that separated him from them. In character, personality, temperament, attitudes, philosophy and outlook on life, Ali and the rest of them were the antithesis of each other. ^[2]

[edit] Uthman's era

A narration attributed to Ali reports:

`Othman ordered that I should have audience with him on a very hot day. I placed my garment on my head and went to see him. I entered, and he was on his bed, a rod in hand, surrounded by rich wealth: two heaps of gold and silver. He said, `Take of this whatever you wish so you may have enough (i.e. buy enough food) to fill your stomach, for you have burnt me.’ I said to him, `You have surely been kind to your kin! If this wealth is an inheritance which you have inherited, or a giver gave it to you personally, or you earned it from a trade deal, I would then be one of two: I may either take of it or simply thank you for your offer [but not accept it], or I may refrain so I may work hard (to earn my living). But if it is a wealth that belongs to Allah, and the Muslims are to partake of it, and so are the orphans and the wayfarers, then by Allah, you have no right to give me any of it, nor do I have any right to take any of it.’ He said, `I, by Allah, insist that you should do what you have refused to do.’ Then he kept hitting me with the rod. By Allah, I did not keep his hand away from me till he had enough. I pulled my garment over my head and went back home. I said, `Allah is between you and me if I enjoined on you to do what is right or prohibited you from doing wrong.^[3]

[edit] Titles

The Shi'a give these titles to Ali:

Al-Ŝādiq (The Truthful)
Imam (commander/leader)
Imam Al-Muttaqin (Leader of those established in the faith)
Al-Murtadhā (Murtazā in Persian) (The chosen one)
Al-Naba' ul 'Adhīm
Haydar

Ali and his sons, Hasan and Husayn, by Ibrahim Naghash bashi Isfahani

Safder
Al-Almdār (The standard bearer)
Mushkil-Kushā (The solver of problems)
Al-Furuq

Please note that translation from Arabic to English may change the way the words are interpreted

Ali is given an additional pious modifier. When Ali's name is mentioned, along with "May Allah be pleased with him", Shi'a add "Allah has honoured his face", a reference to the Shi'a belief that Ali converted to Islam at such a young age that he never joined in any worship of the traditional Meccan gods, whom the Muslims believe to be idols. His face, they say, was never defiled by prostrations before idols.

[edit] Famous Hadith used by the Shi'a

Text is tranliterated "Ya Ali, antal Sirat al-Mustaqim", "Oh Ali, You are the right path!"

[edit] Works

Shi'a state Ali is the source of the following:

[edit] Criticism

Other people have views on the Shi'a view of Ali:

[edit] Sunni view of the Shi'a view

Art depicting Ali being struck by Ibn Muljam.Transliteration of left text "Ali-on wali-ollah", "Ali is God's [chosen] Wali", right text "Wa-Allah tahad-damat arkan al-hoda", "By God, the Pillar of Guidance was destroyed".

Sunnis feel that Shi'a have idolized Ali, sometimes giving him more attention, merit and honour than they give Muhammad, while Shi'a reject that.

[edit] Non-Muslim view of the Shi'a view

Some non-Muslims believe that some pro-Ali hadith are biased ^[5]:

"By One who splits seeds and creates breath, the illiterate prophet gave me a covenant: `Nobody except a believer will love me, and nobody except a hypocrite will hate me.' " ^[6]

They have a similar view on the Sunni view of Ali.