Statements by Ayatullah Sayyid Mujtaba Nur Mufidi on the Birth Anniversary of the Commander of the Faithful (PBUH), Entitled “The Virtues of Ali (PBUH) in Sunni Sources,” During His Advanced Jurisprudence Class
Ali (PBUH) is a sun; if anyone places himself within the radiance of his light and warmth, the course of his life will undoubtedly change.
According to certain Sunni narrations, Ali (PBUH) is the embodiment of the perfections of the prophets.
The virtues attributed to Ali (PBUH) in certain Sunni books have not been attributed to any of the Prophet’s Companions.
Humanity today needs this supreme human role model more than ever before.
Truly, speaking about Imam Ali (PBUH) and recounting his merits and virtues is beyond the capacity of people such as me.
The ocean’s waters do not suffice to record the book of your virtues,
Even if I wet my fingertip and turn its pages one by one.
Imam Ali (PBUH) is truly a sea of virtues and an ocean of merits. Understanding and comprehending his personality is beyond the capacity of people such as me, and we are incapable of describing it. Nevertheless, in this brief opportunity, I shall refer to some of the virtues and merits of Imam Ali (PBUH) that have been mentioned in Sunni sources. This is an important matter: anyone possessing such qualities and virtues is a role model not only for Shi‘as, but for all Muslims and, indeed, for every human being in this world, regardless of their beliefs. Some books have addressed and compiled aspects of these merits and virtues recorded in authoritative Sunni works. I shall mention only one or two of these instances to demonstrate the status that Imam Ali (PBUH) enjoys not only among Shi‘as, but also among Sunni scholars and followers.
Al-Khwarazmi, who died in 568 AH, relates a narration in Al-Manaqib, a book written about the merits and virtues of Imam Ali (PBUH). In this book, he compiled narrations and hadiths concerning this subject, citing chains of transmission for most or all of them and stating his own chains leading to the narrators of the hadiths. He transmitted approximately 416 hadiths. Most of these appear in Sunni sources as statements of the Prophet (PBUH).
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
«إنَّ اللَّه تعَالَى جَعَلَ لِأَخِی عَلِیٍّ فَضَائِلَ لَا تُحْصِی کثرة فَمَنْ ذَكَرَ فَضِیلَةً مِنْ فَضَائِلِهِ مُقِرّاً بِهَا غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ وَ مَا تَأَخَّرَ»
“Indeed, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has bestowed upon my brother Ali innumerable virtues. Whoever recounts one of his virtues while acknowledging it, Allah will forgive his past and future sins.”
«وَ مَنْ كَتَبَ فَضِیلَةً مِنْ فَضَائِله لَمْ تَزَلِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ تَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُ مَا بَقِیَ لِتِلْكَ الْكِتَابَةِ رَسْمٌ»
“And whoever writes down one of his virtues, the angels will continue to seek forgiveness for that person for as long as any trace of that writing remains.”
«وَ مَنِ اسْتَمَعَ إِلَى فَضِیلَةٍ مِنْ فَضَائِلِهِ کَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ الذُّنُوبَ الَّتِی اكْتَسَبَهَا بِالاسْتِمَاعِ»
“And whoever listens to one of the virtues of Imam Ali (PBUH), Allah will forgive all the sins that person has committed through hearing.”
«وَ مَنْ نَظَرَ إِلَى كِتَابَةٍ فِی فَضَائِلِهِ کَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ الذُّنُوبَ الَّتِی اكْتَسَبَهَا بِالنَّظَرِ»
“And whoever looks upon a text concerning the virtues of Imam Ali (PBUH), Allah will forgive all the sins that person has committed through sight.”
Al-Juwayni also relates this narration in Fara’id al-Simtayn. He was a Sunni scholar who died in 730 AH. Some have said that he was a Shi‘a, but the prevailing view is that he was a Sunni scholar.
How is it possible that recounting someone’s virtues, writing them down, listening to them, or looking at a text about them could have such effects? An initial, immediate, and literal interpretation of this hadith would be that anyone who merely sees, hears, recounts, or writes these virtues will have all their sins forgiven—even their future sins. A superficial interpretation would suggest that a person could read or listen to one page, then go about their affairs and resume the same way of life as before—committing sins both before and afterward—and that all these sins would be forgiven. This is certainly not what is intended. The phrase “muqirran biha” means acknowledging the virtues of Imam Ali (PBUH), and not merely acknowledging them verbally. In reality, it means striving to embody these virtues. If a person embodies one of the virtues of Imam Ali (PBUH), or endeavors to create within themselves the conditions necessary to embody those virtues, their sins will naturally be forgiven. This is repentance in practice; it is a practical return. A person who follows this path will no longer turn toward sin and moral vices. Ali (PBUH) is a sun; if anyone places himself within the radiance of his light, heat, and warmth, the course of his life will undoubtedly change.
In another narration, al-Bayhaqi relates that the Prophet (PBUH) said:
«مَنْ أرادَ أنْ یَنْظُرَ إلى آدَمَ فی عِلْمِهِ وَ إلى نُوح فی تقواه وَ إلى إبْراهیمَ فی حِلْمِهِ وَ إلى مُوسى فی عبادته، فَلْیَنْظُرْ إلى عَلیِّ بْنِ أبی طالِب (ع)»
“Whoever wishes to behold Adam in his knowledge, Noah in his God-wariness, Abraham in his forbearance, and Moses in his worship should look upon Ali ibn Abi Talib (PBUH).”
This means that Ali ibn Abi Talib is the embodiment of the prophets and the embodiment of their perfections. The perfections of Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses were brought together in him. If a person develops love for and a heartfelt bond with such a personality—one who embodies the prophets and in whom the prophets’ perfections and most outstanding virtues were manifested—it will undoubtedly affect that person’s life. Love does not merely mean saying, “I love him,” and then going about one’s affairs. Love, in the true sense of the word, affects a person’s life; it engenders emulation, conformity, and obedience.
Consider why so many virtues have been related concerning Imam Ali (PBUH), many of them from the Prophet (PBUH) himself. You will not find such virtues attributed by the Prophet (PBUH) to any of his other Companions. Virtues have also occasionally been related concerning the Prophet’s Companions in Sunni hadith collections themselves, but the virtues enumerated for Imam Ali (PBUH) have not been attributed to any of the Prophet’s other Companions. In other words, there is consensus that Imam Ali (PBUH) possessed virtues, and that the Prophet (PBUH) attributed virtues to him in a manner in which he did not attribute them to any of his other Companions.
This is a point that everyone, including Sunnis, acknowledges and does not deny. Such a personality must be the role model and exemplar of all Muslims throughout the Islamic world. Imam Ali (PBUH) belongs to everyone. Ali ibn Abi Talib belongs to all humanity. Imam Ali (PBUH) is the supreme human role model for all ages and eras. Humanity today needs this role model more than ever before. The greatness of Imam Ali (PBUH) was always preserved, both when he assumed the seat of the caliphate as ruler and when he was unjustly deprived of this right for many years. His lofty spirit and nobility of character were such that neither did he stain his hands with injustice at the height of his power, nor did he regard himself as humiliated or abased when he lacked power. Greatness, steadfastness and authority, reliance upon Almighty Allah, concern for justice and religion, and concern for the interests of the Islamic Ummah were the most prominent matters that Imam Ali (PBUH) always kept in view throughout his life. Imam Ali (PBUH) did not live for himself, nor did he pursue his own carnal desires. Wherever necessary, he entered the arena without regard for himself or his own wishes, and sacrificed all that he possessed to defend the sovereignty of Islam and religious governance and to establish justice. This personality—this human being, or rather, this divine spirit that assumed physical form and embodiment upon the earth—must be al-‘Urwat al-Wuthqa, the Firmest Handhold, and the means of connecting humanity to the celestial realm. The path toward proximity to Almighty Allah, the path of attaining perfection, and the path of traversing the way of truth lie in taking such a human being as our role model. Imam Ali (PBUH) is a role model for everyone—a role model for all humanity. He is presented as the Imam of the Shi‘as, but he is not a personality who belongs exclusively to the Shi‘as. Rather, all Muslims and all human beings must follow his path and way of life in this world so that they may attain felicity, proximity to Almighty Allah, and human perfection.