“Verily Allah has commanded me to love four (persons)…

إن الله عز وجل أمرني بحب أربعة وأخبرني أنه يحبهم : علي والمقداد وأبو ذر وسلمان

Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said,”Verily Allah has commanded me to love four (persons) and has told me that He loves them: ‘Ali, Al-Miqdad, Abu Dhar and Salman  رضي الله عنهم ”

[Jami’us saghir]

After the death of Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) we have to come to know…

 فقد ورد أن عليا رضي الله عنه قال ذلك على منبر الكوفة ، وسمعه منه الجم الغفير ؛ وكان يقول : ( ما مات رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حتى علمنا أن أفضلنا بعده أبو بكر ، وما مات أبو بكر حتى علمنا أن أفضلنا بعده عمر

‘Ali  (رضي الله عنه) said on the pulpit in Kufa and a large crowd had heard it. ‘Ali  (رضي الله عنه) had said:

After the death of  Allah’s Messenger  (صلى الله عليه وسلم) we have to come to know that Abu Bakr  (رضي الله عنه) is the best amongst us all, and after the death of Abu Bakr  (رضي الله عنه) we have to come to know that ‘Umar  (رضي الله عنه) is the best amongst us.

[As Sunnah of Ibn Abi ‘Aasim]

First to etablish hijri calendar

Sa’eed ibn al-Musayyib said:

The first one to establish the (hijri) calendar was ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) two and a half years into his caliphate. He reached a decision in consultation with ‘Ali Ibn Abu Talib (رضي الله عنه).

[Tarikh al Islam by Imam Dhahabi]

Concentration of Knowledge

Masrooq said:

I studied the companions (رضي الله عنهم) of Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and discovered that knowledge is concentrated in 6 individuals among them: ‘Ali, ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud, ‘Umar, Zayd Ibn Thabit, Abu Darda and Ubay Ibn K’ab (رضي الله عنهم)
. Then I studied these 6 individuals and found that knowledge is concentrated in 2 of them: ‘Ali and ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud (رضي الله عنهم) .

Trait most hated by companions (رضي الله عنهم)

‘Aisha (رضي الله عنها) said:

“There was not a trait most reprehensible in the sight of Prophet’s (صلى الله عليه وسلم) companions  (رضي الله عنهم) more than lying. Whenever the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) of Allah found any of his companions  (رضي الله عنهم) lying, that impression would not depart from his heart until he was vividly shown that the companion had sincerely turned to Allah in repentance.

[Muslim in his introdution to his sahih]

‘Umar Ibn Khattab (رضي الله عنه) said:

The dearest of you as long as you have not met us are the best in names. But after we had seen you, the best of you to us are the best of you in character. When we scrutinise you, the dearest of you to us are the most truthful of you in speech.

[Ibn Abi Dunya]

‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) said:

I am informing you of what I heard from Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم). To fall down from the sky is dearer to me than to invent lie against him.

[Bukhari and Muslim]

Will you not appoint a successor?

‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) was asked, “Will you not appoint a successor?”

He said, ” No rather, I shall leave you just as Allah’s Messenger  (صلى الله عليه وسلم) left you. If Allah has decreed good for you then He will bring you together to select the best of you just as He made you choose the best of you after Allah’s Messenger  (صلى الله عليه وسلم) .”

This was an acknowledgement by ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) just before his death that Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) was superior in excellence.

Bidaayah Wan Nihaayah

You are friend of every believer after me

أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال لعلي: أنت ولي كل مؤمن بعدي

Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه)  narrated that Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said to ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه):

You are friend of every believer after me.

Classified sahih by Shaykh Albani

He of whom I am a friend, Ali (رضي الله عنه) is his friend (too).

عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ كُنْتُ مَوْلَاهُ فَعَلِيٌّ مَوْلَاه

Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said,”He of whom I am a friend, Ali  (رضي الله عنه) is his friend (too).”

Narrated through various chains and some are authentic according to Imam Ibn Kathir, Shaykh Albani, Shaykh Ahmad Shakir and others.

 

“Allah never sent a Prophet but after taking his pledge…”

`Ali bin Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) and his cousin `Abdullah bin `Abbas (رضي الله عنه) said,

“Allah never sent a Prophet but after taking his pledge that if Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) were sent in his lifetime, he would believe in and support him.” Allah commanded each Prophet to take a pledge from his nation that if Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) were sent in their time, they would believe in and support him.

Tabari

‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) on Alhamdulillah

Hafs mentioned that `Umar (رضي الله عنه) said to `Ali (رضي الله عنه) , “We know La ilaha illallah, Subhan Allah and Allahu Akbar. What about Al-Hamdu Lillah” `Ali (رضي الله عنه) said, “A statement that Allah liked for Himself, was pleased with for Himself and He likes that it be repeated.”

Tabari

Ibn `Abbas (رضي الله عنه) said, “Al-Hamdu Lillah is the statement of appreciation. When the servant says Al-Hamdu Lillah, Allah says, `My servant has praised Me.”

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded this Hadith.