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The Great Sacrifices of Imam Ali (A.S.)

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The Great Sacrifices of Imam Ali (A.S.)

By: Majid Massoudi

1-Youmul Inthar (the day of warning)
When Allah the Almighty had sent down His Revelation to our Prophet, chosen him as His Messenger, and entrusted him with the Divine Mission, I was the youngest member of his family. In those days, I was always with the Messenger of Allah (S). I tried to satisfy him by doing everything well. One day, he invited the children of Abdul Muttalib, from the oldest to the youngest one to his house.
He testified to the Oneness of Allah, spoke of his Prophetic Mission, and invited them to accept his Divine Mission. All of them turned their backs to him and walked away ignoring his statements.
Other people did the same as his own family and tribe did to him. His family resisted to him. In fact, their hearts could not tolerate to accept his Mission and their minds could not analyze the meanings of the Pure Monotheism. The confession of these beliefs was very difficult for them.
In this situation, I was the only one who accepted his invitation. Without no hesitation! I was so certain about my decision, that I joined him with all my heart and mind and felt no doubt whatsoever!
Anyway, three years passed and in these years, there was nobody on the earth who would accept the Prophetic Mission of Muhammad (peace be upon Him) except me and the daughter of khuwaylid (Khadijah). We were the only three ones who offered prayers to Allah, The Most Powerful.
[The narrator of this news, Jabir al-Jo’fi narrates that at that moment]: “Ali (peace be upon him), in front of the people, asked the men who were listening to him: ‘Is it not true?’ Everyone said, ‘O commander of the believers! Yes, it is true!’
The Jewish man whispered to himself: Then it is the first sign.

2- Leylatol Mabeet (the night of sleeping in the Prophet’s bed)
O, our Jewish brother, the tribes of Quraysh were always thinking about how to kill the Prophet of Islam. To execute their devillish plan, they did everything, until one day they gathered in “Dar an-Nadwah; house of meeting” where Satan was also present there, as the one-eyed man of Thaqif (A’war Thaqif).
Satan expressed and revealed the hidden intentions. He persuaded the men of Quraysh to choose a young man from each tribe to attack and kill the Prophet (S) while sleeping. In this devilish plot, a group of men would kill the Prophet (S), and so the Hashimites [the members from the Bani Hâchim tribe] would not be able to avenge on all the Arab tribes. In this way, the Prophet’s blood would have been shed in vain.
After they decided to do so, Gabriel came to see the Prophet Muhammad (S) and revealed to him about their plot. Gabriel also told him about the exact time and the night of the execution of the plot. He helped him leave Mecca and directed him to the cave of Hara’ in the Thour Mountain.
The Prophet Muhammad (S) told me about this matter and asked me if I would sleep in his bed and sacrifice my life for him? I delightedly agreed to his order and I was very happy to do that.
This special and dangerous night had come and the Messenger of Allah (S) left Mecca. I slept in his bed. In the middle of the night, the men of Quraysh, broke into the Prophet’s house, but when they opened the door of the Prophet’s room, I got up from his bed and attacked them with my unsheathed sword. You all know how I defended myself. Is it not true?”
Everyone said, “Yes, It is true! You are the commander of the believers!” The Jewish man said to himself: ‘This is the second sign.’

3- The Battle of Badr
The two sons of Rabee’ah; Shaybah and Utbah, and Waleed Utbah’s son were three courageous warriors of the tribe of Quraysh. They looked for equal opponents during the battle of Badr, but nobody was able or courageous enough to fight with them. At that time, the Prophet (S) sent me to them. I was the youngest among all the warriors in the Muslim army. By the assistance of Allah, I could kill Waleed and Shaybah, and I could capture many other unbelievers.
I faced many hardships during that battle and nobody in our troop faced the same hardships. Allah bestowed His Mercy on my cousin Ubaydah ibn Harith who fought alongside me. Is it not true?”
Everyone replied, “Oh yes! You are truly the Commander of the Believers!”
The Jewish man accepted the third sign in his heart and mind.

The Battle of Uhud
The year after, all the Arab tribes along with Quraysh gathered together and decided to be united to avenge their men who had been killed during the battle of Badr. They wanted to kill all the Muslims. Once again, Gabriel by the Will of Allah, came down and revealed to the Prophet (S) their satanic plot against him.
After that, the Prophet with his followers were waiting by the mountain of Uhud, when the polytheists of Qurasyh came and the battle began.
…In the beginning, the Muslims defeated the polytheists, but at last, the Muslims were defeated and many heroes from them were martyred.
On those perilous moments, some of our soldiers escaped from the battlefield and were scattered in different places. It was only I, who stood beside the Messenger of Allah with all my heart and soul. Some groups of the Muhajireen and the Ansar, who had escaped toward their homes, thought that the Prophet (S) and his companions had been killed in the battle. However, Allah the Almighty and all the wise men did not give them enough time and had gave them deadly blows! On that occasion, I received more than seventy wounds in my body! These are the scars caused in the past battles. I hope that Allah will reward me in the hereafter with the best of His reward.
Is not true what I have just said?”
“Yes, it is true, and you are truly the Commander of the Believers!”
The Jewish man accepted those sings that he knew well and his face turned slowly pale.

The Battle of Ahzab, in the fifth year of Hegira
After the battle of Uhud, the Arab tribes became stronger and fiercer than before. They made a convention among them to collaborate in all the affairs and not to break their allegiance to each other, in order to defeat and kill all the Muslims of Medina, and most of all kill the Prophet (S) and annihilate all the children of Abu Talib forever.
With this wicked decision, they set the fire of anger and grudge. They thought that their plan would bear fruit and they could kill all the residents of Medina. These miscreants had a great trust in their war plan.
Once again, Gabriel came down to tell the Prophet (S) about the plot. The Prophet (S) along with the Muhajireen (immigrants) and the Ansar (supporters) started to dig a trench around the city of Medina.
When Quraysh and the allies arrived at Medina, they did not know anything about the Muslims’ ingenuity. When they came before the great trench around the city, they were not able to make a decision as to what they should do for that strange and complicated problem. They thought that they were much more powerful than Muslims were. Therefore, they were very angry about our astuteness.
On the other hand, the Messenger of Allah (S) invited them to embrace Islam and asked them gently to consider about their souls…, but it did not affect their cruel and heartless decision. It made them, in fact, even angrier. They insisted on their position against the believers.
On that day, their greatest warrior was a man named Amr ibn Abd Widd. He was one of the greatest and most famous swordsmen among the Arab tribes. When he came in the battlefield, he cried out loudly challenging the Muslims to combat with him. He was turning his spear around his head and for some moments, he was also turning his sword upon his head. However, nobody had enough courage to advance and fight with him except me. Every time the Messenger of Allah (S) asked Muslims, if one of them wanted to go to him, no one responded except me. On that critical moment, the Prophet (S) permitted me to go to the battlefield and fight with that great hero. Before I went into the battle field the Messenger of Allah (S) put his turban on my head and gave me his sword as benediction.
I advanced to fight with Amr, and the women of Medina began to cry for me, because they were certain that I would die. Allah the Almighty assisted me, and I could kill one of the most famous heroes of Arabia…! Before his death, he gave a very hard blow on my head. After that, Allah the Almighty gave us victory and added another defeat to the polytheists’ defeats. Is it not true?”
Everybody said, “Yes, it is true, O, the Commander of the Believers!”
The wise Jewish man found the fifth sign irrefutable. The color of his face changed to white. He was looking at Imam Ali’s face, but after this last sign, he began gazing at the floor.

The Battle of Khaybar
I remember the day I was with the Messenger of Allah (S) when we entered the place where your brothers in religion (the Jews) lived. I mean the fortress of Khaybar. There were some Jews and warriors were all gathered there together. They had prepared a massive cavalry squadron. In their invincible fortress, they were ready for war.
During a fight, they came and invited us in. Every man from our troops, who went to fight, was killed there and then. After that, Muslims were incited to begin general fight. Everyone thought how to save himself. Some people looked at me saying, “O Abul Hassan, will you go on and save us?”
The Messenger of Allah (S) once again sent me towards the enemies. I killed everyone that fought me. Like an angry lion, I attacked the troops of the enemy, and defeated everyone obstructing my way.
The Jewish men felt the smell of defeat in the air, and escaped into their fortress. They closed the great gates behind them, but it was I, who plucked out the great gate of Khaybar and threw it far away! I began walking in the fortress by myself. I fought and killed every fighter standing against me. I defeated them all, but with Allah’s assistance. Is it not true?”
The all said, “Yes, it is true. You are truly the lord of the Muslims!”
The Jewish man had lost the color of his face. He was still gazing at the store ground in front of him. He was embarrassed for the bad deeds of his fellows in religion, but he was also aware of the sufferings of Ali (a.s.) in that war. Inside him, he praised Imam Ali (a.s.) more and more.

The disavowal of the Polytheists
When the Messenger of Allah (S) along with his companions were going to conquer Mecca, he wanted once again to invite the inhabitants of that city to Islam. So he wrote a letter in which he asked them to refrain from cruelty and fighting, and just think of Allah and His Mercy. He gave them hope that Allah would forgive them if they repented. At the end of the letter, the Prophet (S) pointed out to them the Sura of Bara’ah (disavowal).
The Prophet (S) proposed the task of delivering the letter to the people around him and wanted someone to perform this duty, but all of them refused that dangerous mission. When the Prophet (S) found no responses, he chose Abu Bakr to carry out the task and announce the Sura of Bara’ah before the in habitants of Mecca. When Abu Bakr went on his way, the Archangel Gabriel came down saying to the Prophet (S), “O Muhammad! No one should do this mission except you, or a man from your family!” Then, the Messenger of Allah (S) called me and asked me to carry out and perform that diffiwlt mission. He asked me to go after Abu Bakr without any delay, and take that message from him, he said that I myself, should announce the Sura before the Meccans. I went to Mecca with the Sura, but what can I say about the people of Mecca? If they were free to do anything they wanted to do, they would have shown me their dark and deep hatred and grudges. They would have cut my body into pieces, and put each piece on the top of every mountain! As you know, they were ready to sacrifice their wives, children and wealth, to realize their wicked plots against me! However, I achieved my mission completely and delivered them the message of the Prophet (S). After that, some groups came and threatened me. Some people talked about appointing me in a high position in the city and giving me a lot of money. Some others showed their old enmity against me, but I just did what the Messenger of Allah (S) had asked me to do. Is it not true?”
All of them replied, “Yes it is true, O Commander of the Believers!”
Then Imam Ali (a.s.) looked at the Jewish man and said, “My Jewish brother! These are the seven instances of my sufferings before the death of the Messenger of Allah. We have not enough time to explain them completely and fully!”
The wise Jewish man looked at Imam Ali’s face for a while, and then some tears came in his eyes.

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