Once the Prophet told Ali: "0 Ali, say: 0 Allah, grant me your covenant, and place my love in the bosoms of the believers, then the said
verse was revealed in Ali's favour .
"(As for) those who believe and do good, surely they are the best of men. Holy
Qur'an (98:7)
" Your master [wali] can be only Allah; and His messenger and the those who
believe, who establish worship and pay the poor due, and bow down (in prayer) [ "...
pay the poor due while bowing down (in prayer)"]" (Quran, V, 55).
Shia and Sunni commentators alike agree that this verse was revealed concerning Ali
ibn Abi Talib (as), and many traditions exist supporting this view.
Abu Dharr Ghafari has said: “One day we prayed the noon prayer with the Prophet
(SW). A person in need asked people to help him, but no one gave him anything. The
person raised his hands to the sky saying, 'Oh God! Bear witness that in the mosque
of the Prophet (SW) that no one gave me anything.' Ali ibn Abi Talib was in the bowing position of the prayer. He pointed with his
finger outwards towards the person, who then took his ring and left. The Prophet (SW), who was observing the scene raised his head
toward heaven and said: ' Oh God! My brother Moses said to Thee, "Expand my breast and make easy my tasks and make my tongue
eloquent so that they will comprehend my words, and make my brother, Harun, my help and vizier" [cf. Quran, XXVIII, 35]. Oh God!
I am also Thy prophet; expand my breast and make easy my tasks, make Ali my vizier and helper.'" Abu Dharr says, "The words of the
Prophet had not as yet finished when the verse was revealed."
Imam Ali (as) First in many Fields
-He was the only man to be born in the Kabah (The house of God) -He was the first to offer homage to the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HF)
-He was the first to offer prayers after the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HF) -He was the first to offer his services for Jihad. -He was the first
to receive religious instructions from the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HF) -He was the first to compile and codify the Quran -He was the
first to be styled as "brother" by the Prophet (PBUH&HF) and on every occasion -He was the first to give burial to the Prophet
(PBUH&HF) -He was the first to offer to sleep in the Prophet's (PBUH&HF) bed on the night of his emigration to Medina -He was
the first to be appointed commander in all those battles in which the Holy Prophet (sw) did not participate personally - The honor of
the propagation of the Quranic Sura, "al Bara'at" fell to Imam Ali's (as) lot - He was the only man to be titled as the "Second Aaron"
by the Prophet (PBUH&HF) - The honor of owning a house which opened into the courtyard of the Prophet's (PBUH&HF) mosque
was reserved for Imam Ali (as) alone. - He was the first to have the honor of being nominated by the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HF) as
his succesor, testator and vice regent, and to marry his daughter Fatima (as) ... and many many more
Imam Ali and the Ancient Prophets
God gave Adam the knowledge of His names, while Ali held the entire knowledge of the Book of Allah. Adam was married with Eve
in the Garden of Paradise, while God married Imam Ali (as) with Fatima (as) in heaven.
God styled Noah as a "Grateful Creature" and he was called the Second Adam, while Imam Ali (as)
was styled as "Abu'l Ummah".
God made Abraham the "Imam" or the "Leaders of men", while Imam Ali (as) was the Imam of all
creation, men and Jinn.
Moses was brought up in the house of Pharaoh, while Imam Ali (as) was brought up in the house of
the Prophet (PBUH&HF)
Moses threw his rod which became a serpent, whereas Imam Ali (as), while still in the cradle, cleaved the snake into two
Moses name has been mentioned 230 times in the Quran, while Imam Ali's (as) has been referred to in 300 places in the Quran
... and many many more
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