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Birth Anniversary of
Imam Ali (PBUH)
On 13th of Rajab 30th 1448 lunar years
ago, the holy Ka’ba in Mecca suddenly came to live with the
birth of the only person that was ever born in the most
sacred of the symbolic Houses of God. He was not an ordinary
person. He was destined to be the barometer for discerning
faith from disbelief. He was named Ali, which means the
Exalted or Lofty one. His multi-sided personality would see
the flowering of such excellent qualities as piety, bravery,
generosity, magnanimity, modesty, wisdom, justice, insight,
eloquence of speech, etc. to the extent that mankind will
forever feel indebted to him. God would designate him as the
successor of His Last Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (blessings
of Allah upon him and his progeny). We congratulate all
listeners on the auspicious birth anniversary of this Great
Man who continues to transcend history and all historical
development. In the words of the famous 6th
century AH scholar Ibn Abi’l-Hadeed Mu’tazalite: “What can I
say about the man whose enemies have praised him since they
could not hide his virtue and merits. He is the source of
all merits and perfection. He is the pioneer of all virtues
and perfection of beauties. He is Imam Ali ibn Abi-Taleb
(AS).”
We live in a world, which does not seem to be ever tired of
talking of the great human values of equality, justice,
tolerance and truth. At no other time in human history have
these ideals been so widely publicized as at present; only
because of the stupendous hold of the media over our minds,
and never before were these higher ideals further beyond the
reach of the people as in this age. Today everyone talks
about inter-religious understanding and no one denies its
importance, if the world is going to survive. Yet today’s
world, which with the advent of modern technology and mass
communications is rightly named the global village, is
tearing apart because of ethnic clashes witnessed
everywhere. This is due to the fact that no one has been
able to suggest any practical way for achieving a viable
inter-religious understanding to establish peace, harmony,
brotherhood and justice among the followers of different
religions, as mankind progresses towards the concept of
globalization. The reason human values seem to appear
abstract and unreachable is because there are no living
models thereof; men whose every day life would demonstrate
the relevancy and value of these ideals in practice; men
who, in effect practice what they preach. The world has
always lacked them, craved for them and yet when they came
to live in it, it has spurned them.
One such man who dwelt upon Planet Earth was Imam Ali ibn
Abi Talib (AS). He was the one who was closest to Prophet
Muhammad (SAWA); unwavering and steadfast in times of
adversity for Islam as well as for its Prophet. He was the
tangible model of all the ideals we mentioned earlier
because of his unfaltering pursuit of justice and the rule
of law. His passionate concern for the oppressed, his
obsessive respect for knowledge, truth and piety, his
untainted humility even while in power and his fortitude and
forbearance in the face of adversity, make him a perfect
model. These were some of his qualities that helped to bring
distant ideals nearer, not only to the people of his time
but also to the people of our age.
He was the hero of many a crucial battle in the initial
years of Islam for the liberation of the oppressed. Later he
also ruled a vast realm – stretching from North Africa in
the west to Central Asia and the borders of India and China
in the east, which now contain over 20 countries, yet he
lived a simple life. He was an excellent father, an
affectionate husband, an affable companion to all those who
came in contact with him, an eloquent orator, an intrepid
fighter, and an able administrator. He thus combined in
himself on one hand the personality of a saint, a
philosopher and a preacher, and on the other hand of a
statesman, a general and an administrator. Underlying all
these facts was the most profound and powerful quality of
him, i.e. his fear of God and total submission to His will.
As it was mentioned at the outset, there is an urgent need
for promotion of inter-religious understanding in the modern
world and Imam Ali (AS) is one of those figures whose
qualities are equally revered by different schools of
thought. Over a millennium and three centuries ago Imam
Ali
(AS) placed the importance of justice, unity and security in
accordance with the wordings of God’s Revealed Scripture the
Holy Qur’àn and with the dynamic sayings of Prophet Muhammad
(SAWA) for the betterment of the life of the people all over
the world. If the world were to understand, follow and
implement these valuable teachings of Imam Ali (AS), who
combined in himself love and affection, judgement and human
sympathy, as well as the qualities of the most erudite
scholar and writer due to his firm faith and unshakable
belief in God, then the society will reach the stage where
peace happiness, brotherhood, tranquility and harmony shall
definitely prevail. The most important aspect of the sayings
of Imam Ali (AS) is the emphasis on moral values that enable
a person to lead a good life. His teachings focus on the
transient nature of human existence on earth that whatever
comes must also go. If a person chooses a morally corrupt
life, more or less on the level of animals, it will not only
degrade him but would also create perpetual tension and
conflicts in society instead of unity. Therefore, it is
obvious that any one who faithfully carries out the
obligation of an ethically clean life, will be very much
active in the worldly affairs, and will also be setting a
moral example in performing duties and in discharging
responsibilities as an honest person not only with his
family but with his neighbours and those with whom he comes
into contact. These factors will undoubtedly create unity in
the society.
There is no better way of knowing Imam Ali (AS) than through
the great anthology of his sermons, speeches, and letters,
collected by various early scholars since his lifetime and
culminating more than a thousand years ago in the immortal
book Nahj al-Balaghah or Highway of Eloquence, the
compilation of the celebrated scholar Seyed Razi.
Nahj al-Balaghah
is not the word of a saint confined to the solitude of a
hut, hermitage or an ivory tower. It is the work of a man
who from the age of ten had participated actively in Islam’s
struggles against tyranny, inequality, ignorance and
superstition. Thus the basic aim of both the Holy Qur’àn and
Nahj al-Balaghah lies in granting the individual a
pure, pristine, progressive and perfectly balanced view of
life in the context of unity and security which are the
social aspects for refining and activating human tracts in
implementing justice. The sayings of Imam Ali (‘a) in
Nahj al-Balaghah, namely the message of love, sympathy,
friendship and unity, have acquired eternal meanings,
perennial greatness and universal truthfulness in complete
harmony and co-ordination with the urges of the changing
life style of every age and era. For instance in Sermon 208
Imam Ali (‘a) states:
“What you will do with this vast house in this world? If you
want to take it to the next world, you should entertain
guests in it and be regardful of kinship and discharge all
obligations according to their accrual. In this way you will
be able to take it to the next world.”
How wonderfully Imam Ali (‘a) has shown the way to create
bonds of innate human unity between the common and needy
persons and the wealthy and affluent people.
Nahj al-Balaghah
is a book in which both religious unity and the unity of
mankind, have been emphasized for shaping solidarity and
harmony among human beings all over the world, in view of
the fact that unity which is the basic fundamental as well
as an inherent part of mankind’s nature, is more precious
than the differences which are just superficial and
subsidiary. Therefore, the intellectuals and legal experts
should avoid such aspects which are controversial and should
try to bring to light views that are agreeable and harmonial
for unity, because, God is not Rabb al-Muslimin (the
Sustainer of Muslims) but He is Rabb al-‘Alamin, that
is, the Sustainer of the entire universe. In other words as
per the direction of Imam Ali (‘a) to Malik AL-Ashtar, his
governor of the then Christian-majority Egypt, the entire
mankind is one big and extended family –despite the tribes,
ethnic and lingual groups, and creeds that it has split
into. Imam Ali (AS) was thus no ordinary mortal. He was the
symbol of justice, equity and faith, which are essential
elements for forging fraternity among mankind.
Politics
from the Viewpoint of Imam Ali (AS)
The pages of history are filled with politicians, statesmen
and administrators whose memories, whether good or bad,
survive. However, there have been very few among them who
really cared about the welfare and prosperity of mankind.
The name that stands outs heads and shoulders above the rest
and brilliantly glows till this day is of a person whose
multi-sided personality none has been able to equal. He
strove for the betterment of humanity and for its salvation
in the Hereafter. These lofty moral principles were the
basis of his political outlook of which he gave the
practical demonstration in the most sagacious manner that it
stands out as a beacon of light for all God-oriented
politicians and statesmen striving to improve the lot of the
masses. He was the person whose birth anniversary we are
celebrating these days. He was the Leader of the Pious, the
Commander of the Faithful, the Embodiment of Justice,
Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (peace upon him), whose model
administration remains unparalleled to this day, and whose
instructions to his officials, continue to serve as immortal
guidelines for all dedicated administrators. His realm
spanned what are now some twenty countries spread from North
Africa to Central Asia, but power could never tempt him and
he lived the most simplest life for the care and concern he
had for his subjects, saying how could he enjoy food,
clothes and comfort when there are people in the vast realm
who could barely afford one square meal per day. These were
the qualities that endeared him to both mankind and to the
Almighty Creator, and this is the reason that Imam Ali (AS)
has continued to rule hearts and minds in every age and
place long after the power, pomp and pageantry of political
potentates puffed with pride have evaporated from the
Planet’s surface.
In politics, it is ethics and observance of moral and
humanitarian values that serve as the barometer between
sincerity and hypocrisy. Those who believe that politics are
devoid of ethics and that everything is lawful in the quest
for power miserably fail the test of real politik and stand
as mere charlatans in the pages of history. The list of such
politicians, whose machiavellian guile did not bring them
any lasting glory, is pretty long. The medieval Italian
writer Nicolo di Bernardo Machiavelli, whose book
The Prince preached that the means justify the end and whose unethical
precepts modern day politicians practice in the most
sophisticated ways to deceive public opinion and to confound
the fate of humanity, was surely not the first of the
hypocrites. Even in the time of Imam Ali (AS) such satanic
politicians existed. For instance, Mu’awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan
and his equally crafty colleague Amr ibn AL-Aas were the
prototypes of the modern day Machiavellians or hypocrites
who blindly pursued power. Yet their deceit for dominating
Syria, Iraq, Arabia, Egypt and other lands, brought them
nothing but ignominy and lasting damnation in the same way
that US President George W. Bush and company are earning
divine displeasure through their preposterous lies of
democracy and respect for human rights by devastating Iraq
and by burdening the American people with taxes and undue
anxiety on the pretext of war on terror.
The sharpness of the God-given intellect of Imam Ali (AS)
could be gauged from his famous saying on the subject of
deceit when the naïve and the simple-minded thought that the
crafty Mua’wiyah was a better politician. The Imam says: "By
God, Mua’wiyah is not smarter than me. He only uses deceit,
treason and sins. What! If I were to stoop to such low
levels I would be considered the smartest politician of my
time!"
The glorious political record of Imam Ali (AS) speaks for
itself. It can never be overshadowed. His justice was not
confined to any particular ethnic, linguistic or religious
group. His Instructions to Malek AL-Ashtar his governor of the
then predominantly Christian Egypt are undeniable proof of
the political honesty of the Imam. In part of the lengthy
epistle preserved in the book Nahj al-Balagha, the Imam
says:
“If you conclude an agreement between yourself and your
adversary or enter into a pledge with him, then fulfill your
agreements and discharge your pledge faithfully. Place
yourself as a shield against whatever you have pledged,
because among the obligations of Allah there is nothing on
which people are more strongly united despite the difference
of their ideas and variation of their views than respect for
fulfilling the pledges. Besides Muslims even unbelievers
have abided by the agreements because they realized the
dangers to come in the wake of violation (thereof).
Therefore do not deceive your enemy, because no one can
offend against Allah save the ignorant and the wicked. Allah
made agreement and pledge the sign of security, which he has
spread over His creatures through His mercy and an asylum in
which they stay in His protection and seek benefit of His
proximity. Therefore there should be no deceit, cunning or
duplicity in it.”
Compare the political outlook of Imam Ali (AS) with the
deceit of modern day politician such as Britain’s wartime
Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, who in his book about the
history of World War Two, regarding the attack of the Allied
forces on Iran, writes: Although we have concluded a treaty
with the Iranians and ought not to attack them as per the
treaty, nevertheless in politics when the interests of a
nation are taken into consideration, these words become
illusive. I could not turn a blind eye on the interests of
Great Britain for a mere treaty.
Even volumes would not be able to do justice to the
political dynamism of Imam Ali (AS) whose outlook was based
on justice, equity, honesty, sincerity, and most important
of all, the God wariness. The Christian Church still
treasures the charter of security that the Imam had given to
it during his caliphate. Perhaps that is the reason a
Christian personality like George Jordaq has written a
series of interesting book on the life and times of Imam
Ali
(AS). Some of his books are titled: Ali the Voice of Human
Justice; Ali and Socrates; Ali and the French Revolution.
The writer has paid special tribute to the Nahj al-Balagha
the collection of the Imam’s sermons, letters and maxims
compiled over a thousand years ago. The Nahj al-Balagha and
especially the Imam’s epistle to the Governor of Egypt Malek
AL-Ashtar have been hailed by modern analysts as the finest
charter of human rights, more complete than the UN Charter.
His piety and magnanimous concern for human rights set him
apart from all. For instance during the Siffeen War,
Mua’wiyah, the rebellious governor of Syria took control of
the River Euphrates and cut off all access to its waters for
the Imam’s troops. But when the Imam drove back the Syrians
and wrested control of the Euphrates he did not show the
least rancour and allowed the enemies to come peacefully and
benefit from the river waters for the simple fact that
though misled, they were after all fellow humans and the
creatures of the All-Merciful God the Creator of water, air,
sunshine, wind and all elements of nature from which not
even the atheists are deprived. This was the egalitarian of
justice and politics for Imam Ali (AS), one of whose famous
sayings reads:
"By God if the seven lands and what is in the heavens and on
the earth are given to me to disobey God or to forcibly take
out a husk of straw out of an ant’s mouth, I would never do
it.”
Today if the ideals of Imam Ali (AS) were to be practiced by
politicians and statesmen, the world would have been a
better place to live in without the sufferings inflicted by
the West on Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa and other
lands. |
