Shafaqna English- “The Visage of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)” is written by the late Dr. Ali Shariati. In these essays, Dr. Ali Shariati presents Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a transformative leader whose life embodied justice, compassion, and social change, offering a fresh perspective that goes beyond conventional historical narratives.
The last great task assigned to him is at last completed. Today, the greatest of all men in history, who has accomplished the greatest of all the prophetic missions successfully, is to bid adieu to his city for ever, so that he may die in peace with a calm conscience and a sense of fulfillment among his faithful Companions in Madinah. Subsequent to this, the episode of Ghadir occurs in the course of his return Journey. He examines and evaluates each one of his Companions in order to anticipate to whom the people will gather in the future. He assesses as to what kind of persons are Uthman, Abu Bakr, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas and ‘Abd al-Rahman one by one, until he comes to ‘Ali(A). Among them ‘Ali has a definite eminence. (It is here that they criticized him by saying that after all, he preferred ‘Ali(A) to all others. How strange that a non-entity is placed at the top!) He is the only Companion of Muhammad who had no associations with the pre-Islamic heathen past. His is the generation that came into being with Islam and was cast in the mould of Muhammad’s revolution. His other distinction belongs to his bringing up. The kind hands of poverty brought him from his own house to the house of Muhammad at a tender age when all the basic dimensions of his soul and mind were being shaped and molded. This in an important incident that a child is entrusted to the custody of his cousin during the lifetime’ of his father (during those days it was an extraordinary thing that a child whose father was alive and enjoyed a distinguished position was placed under the guardianship of his uncle’s son), so that a blessed soul who was destined to be an ideal of humanity was to be trained in the school where Muhammad was the tutor and the Book that was introduced to him was the Quran, that too from the very beginning of revelation with a view that the blank tablet of the child’s heart might not receive any impressions of heathenism. A man of the sword, both rhetoric and politic, and possesses the subtlety of the feeling of an Aaref and the wisdom of a hakim (philosopher). His sense of piety and justice is so rigorous that he has become unacceptable to the Companions. His exact and accurate knowledge of the Quran is unanimously accepted by all (throughout his return journey after the Last Pilgrimage the Prophet had been making a mental comparison, assessing him and comparing him with the other Companions regarding the role they were to play in the future). The specific circumstances of his private life, his social and political activities, his relationship with the Prophet and especially his spiritual and intellectual position have been instrumental in bringing him closer to the real spirit of Islam, its deeper and profound meanings that remained hidden beneath the surface of the injunctions, beliefs and religious rites that are not visible to the eyes accustomed to the exoteric aspects of religion only. His feelings and his outlook have become one with the essence of Islam. He possesses the Islamic consciousness, which is something over and above mere faith in Islam.
Throughout the course of twenty-three years, since Muhammad launched his movement in the spiritual realm as well as society, Ali was always distinguishable from others. He always dwelt in the midst of dangers and did not waver even once. He never once showed the slightest signs of weakness during his whole life. What distinguishes ‘Ali more than any other thing is his multi-dimensional personality the spirit that surpasses all other heroes in all its diverse dimensions. He is a hero in the realm of thought as well as a hero on the battlefield. His capacity to love is great, equally at ease under the niche of a mosque or among people. A man who loves aloofness, yet is active in politics. The greatest enemy of all the forms of lewdness which cause human suffering. The embodiment of all the sublime aspirations that have been cherished by human hearts throughout the ages.
But, it is quite obvious that in a society which is separated by only ten years from the heathen Bedouin and tribal epoch, how alienated, how strange and unknown such a soul may find itself. It is a tragic record of history, and the fate of ‘Ali and his associates is the most tragic of all. There never existed such a big disparity between an individual and the society to which he belonged.
There is doubt that the Prophet had an intense feeling for ‘Ali in his heart of hearts. In various ways he revealed his special liking for ‘Ali. But he also knew full well that the elite of the Ummah would not easily accept the leadership of this young man a little older than thirty years, who had no refuge in the society except that of Muhammad’s love and had no wealth whatsoever except his sacrifices for Islam.
Part of series: The Visage of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) by Dr. Ali Shariati