12. Ali Amidst his Friends and Foes and Amongst Rich and Poor: I have cited below a few cases which go to show what type of man was ‘Ali-ibne- Abu-Talib. He was, as Pool says “Truly a noble man, a man of righteousness, and a man of brave, humble and forgiving spirit”, and as Oelsner says “Pure, gentle and learned without fear and without reproach, setting the noblest example of character to the world”. Out of hundreds and hundreds of cases to select I find it rather difficult which to choose and which not to choose. I have selected a few according to the standard of my knowledge and visualisation.
1. Ali’s behaviour with his foes:
(1) Talha-Ibne-Abi Talha was not only a bitter enemy of Islam, but was personal enemy of the Holy prophet (A.S.) and Ali. His exertions to harm these two and their mission is a legion. In the battle of Ohad he was the flag-bearer of the army of Quraish. Ali faced him and in a hand to hand encounter dealt him such a severe blow that he reeled and fell down. Ali left han like that and walked away from him. Many Muslim warriors ran up to Ali and advised him to finish Talha, saying that he was Ali’s worst enemy, Ali replied “enemy or no enemy he cannot defend himself now, and I cannot strike a man who is not in a position to defend himself. If he survives he is welcome to live as long as his life lasts”.
(2) In the battle of “Jamal” in the thick of the encounter his slave Quamber brought some sweet syrup saying “my lord the sun is very hot and you have been con stantly fighting, have a glass of this cold drink to refresh yourself”. He looked around bimself and replied, “shall I refresh myself when hundreds of people around me are lying wounded and dying of thirst and wounds? Instead of bringing sweet syrup for me take a few men with you and give each of these wounded persons a cool drink”. Quamber
plied “my lord, they are all our enemies”. He said “they may be but they are human- beings and attend to them”.
(3) In the battle of “Siffeen” Moavia reached the river Eupharates before the army of Hazrath, and took position of the river. When Hazrath’s army reached there he was informed that they would not be allowed a drop of water from the river. Hazrath sent a messenger to Moavia saying that this action was against the canons of humanity and orders of Islam. Moavia’s reply was that “a war is a war and therein one cannot accept principles of humantity and doctrines of Islam. My sole aim is to kill Ali and to demoralize his army and this stoppage of water will bring about these results easily and quickly”. Hazrath ordered Imam Hussain to attack and get back the river. The attack took place and river side position was captured. It was then Moavia’s turn to beseech permission to get water from the river. His messengers arrived and Ali told them to take as much water as they like and as often as they require. When his officers told him that those were the very people who had refused water to them, should they be allowed a free run of the river? He replied “they are human-beings and though have acted inhumanly yet I cannot follow their example and cannot refuse a man food and drink because he happens to be my worst enemy”.
(4) It was the battle of Nahrwan and he himself was fighting like any other ordinary soldier. During this battle a man came to face him and in the encounter lost his sword. He realized his hopeless plight of standing before Ali without any weapon in hand. Ali’s hand was raised for a blow when he saw the antagonist trembling with fear he lowered his hand slowly and said “run away friend you are not in a position to defend yourself”. This attitude made the man bold and he said “Ali why do not you kill me it would have made one enemy less for you”. Ali replied “I cannot strike a man, who cannot defend himself. You were begging for your life and it was spared”. The opponent got bolder and said, “I am told that you have never refused a beggar. Now I beg you of your sword, will you grant it to me?” Ali handed him over the sword. Taking possession of the sword he said “now Ali who is going to defend you against me and save you from my killing blow”. He replied “Of course God, He will defend me if He so wills. He has appointed my death to be my guarding angel none can harm before it is due and none can save me when it arrives”. Nobility of thought and action effected the foe and he kissed the bridle of Ali’s horse and said “O lord, you are a great man indeed. You cannot only foresake the life of your enemy in a battle-field but also you can grant him your sword, May I have the honour to act as your body-guard and to fight for you”? He replied “friend fight for truth and justice and do not fight for persons.
(5) During 39 and 40 A.H. Moavia organised bands of murderers and brigands to enter border towns and to carry on loot, plunder, arson and rape. Kumail was at that time the governor of Hayeth. He asked Hazrath’s permission to organise similar bands and carry plunder in the province of Circiea which was under the control of Moavia. Hazrath Ali replied to him “I never expected such a suggestion from a man like you. It is more noble and more moral to guard your people and province than to plunder others. They might be our enemies but they are human-beings. They consist of civil population comprising of women and children how can one kill, loot and plunder them. No, never even dicam of such a venture.”
(6) It was the month of Ramzan, the month of fasting. It was the time of the morning prayers; the mosque was full of Muslims. Ali was kneeling before God and when he raised his head a terrible blow fell upon it giving a very deep cut. There was a
great disturbance and commotion in the mosque. The murderer started running. The Muslims followed, caught and bound him in ropes and brought him before Ali who was on the prayer carpet drenched in blood and was reclining upon his sons. He knew the blow was fatal and he could not survive it but when the murderer was brought before him, he saw that the rope which had bound him was so tightly bound that it was cutting into his flesh. He turned towards those Muslims and said. “You should not be so cruel with your fellow being slacken his ropes, do not you see that they are cutting into his flesh and he is in agony”.
So was Ali. History of Islam is full of the incidents of his chivalrous and merciful behaviour against his enemies.
ves. II. Let us see what the history says about his behavior with his friends and relati-
1. Abdullah, son of his brother Jafer, was his favourite nephew, whom he had brought up since the death of Jafer and to whom he had given his most favourite daughter. Zainub, into marriage. This Abdullah once came to him requesting for an advance instalment of his share from Baitul Mal. Ali refused and when the youngam persisted he said “no my son, not a day before all the others and not a pie more”.
2. Aquil, his elder brother was financially in a very unhappy condition, he asked for something more than his share and before the time was due. Hazrath refused, saying that he could not resort to dishonesty. Aquil must wait till the time of distribution, and must bear the sufferings patiently. He had cited this incident in one of his sermons.
3. Ibne Haneef was his trusted desciple and a faithful follower. He was governor of a province and was once invited to a function which was followed by sumptuous dinner. When Hazrath near of this he wrote him a very severe letter, criticizing his action and saying that “you went to a dinner where only rich people were invited and poor were scornfully excluded”. This letter can be seen in Nahjul Balagha.
III. Ali amongst his servants and slaves:
He had two slaves Quamber and Saeed: After his death Quamber related that he very seldom had the occasion to serve his master. Hazrath used to do his work for him. self, used to wash his own clothings, used even to patch them whenever needed. He would draw water from the well for his daily use. He would give them good food and decent dresses, and would himself eat and dress like a very poor man. Let alone whip ping or beating he never even got angry with us. He never used a cane even on his horse. camel or mule. These animals apparently understood his mood and desire and would trot and walk as he wished them to do. His often used phrase with them was ‘go easy child’ continuing Quamber said “Once and only once he got annoyed with me. It was the occasion when I showed him the money that I had hoarded. It was from my share of income given to me like others from the Muslim treasury and the gifts I had received from the members of his family. I had no immediate use of it and had collected the amount. It was not much, being barely 100 dirhams. When I showed him the amount he looked annoyed and what pained me more he looked very sad. I enquired as to why he was so sad, he said “Quamber, if you had no use of this money, were there not people
around you who were in need of it, some of them might have been starving and some ill and infirm, could you not have helped them. I never thought that you could be so heartless and cruel, and could love wealth for the sake of wealth. Quamber I am afraid you are not trying to acquire much from Islam, try more seriously and sincerely. Take these coins out of my house.” I took them out and distributed them amongst the beggars in the Koofa mosque.
Saced says, it was a very hot days, Hazrath was writing some letters, he wanted to send me to call some of his officers, he calle me, once, twice and thrice and each time } purposely kept silent and did not reply. He got up to go himself and saw me sitting not very far away from him He asked me as to why I did not respond to his call, I replied “Sir, I want to find out when and how you get angry”. A smile played on his lips and he replied, ‘you cannot rouse my anger with such childlike tricks’, then he set me free and kept on supporting me till his death.
IV. Ali amongst his subjects:-
(i) Once Obaidullah-ibne-Abbas, as governor, illtreated the Bani Tameem clan. They complained to Hazrath. He wrote to Ibne-Abbas, “you should not behave like a beast with your subjects. They are respectable people and should be treated respectfully. You are representing me and your treatment is considered as that of mine. Your first consideration should be the welfare of those over whom you rule and then to treat them with due respect and consideration”.
(ii) Once a group of non-Mulisin subjects waited on Hazrath complaining, that Abbdullah-ibne-Abbas always treated them with contempt and scorn. They were agri- culturists and agricultural labour. It had then become a practice that non-Muslims were usually treated scornfully. Hazrath wrote to Abdullah “Agricultural population of you province complain about your harsh, contemptuous and cruel treatment. Their complaints require careful consideration. I feel that they deserve better treatment than what was met out to them, give them a change to approach you and meet them kindly and po litely. They may be heathens, and polytheists but being our subjects and humanbeings they do not deserve to be driven from us and to be treated harshly and contemptuously”.
(i) ‘Hazrath Ali was passing through ‘Ambaz, with his army. The rich men of the province, as was the custom of those times, came out to greet him. They offered the best Persian horses as presents, and requested his permission to act as hosts to his army. He met them very courteously, but very politely refused to accept the gifts and the invitation, saying “you have paid your taxes, to receive anything inore from you, even when you offer it voluntarily and willingly, is a crime against the state”. But when they persi sted and pressed their request, he ordered that the horses could be accepted against their taxes, and so far as the feast was concerned it must be paid out of the war expenses.
(iv) In the Magazine ‘Al Hukam’ Vol. 11 No. 47 of 1906, there appeared an article saying that the Russians in 1905 found an order of Hazrath Ali, in his own hand-writing which was in Koofi script. This was found in a monastry of Ardahail, chief town of Azer Baijaan. This letter was an amnesty deed to the monastry and the Christians of Arda- bail. Translation of this deed appeared in the Russian newspapers and thence it was
translated in the Turkish papers and in the Arabic Magazines of Cairo and Bairuth, and lots of commentating articles on the spirit of toleration and the treatment of conquerred by Islam were written by the Russians and Arab Christians. Apparently from the Ma. gazine Hablul Mateen it was translated by the Al Hukam.
In this deed Hazrath says that as a caliph and a ruler, he promises safety and security of life, property, honour, social status and religious freedom of Armanian Chri- stians. This order should be obeyed by his officers and by his successors. The Christians should not be maltreated or looked down because they are non-Muslims. So long as they do not try to betray and injure the cuase of the state or Islam they should not be molested and should be allowed to practice their religion and trades freely and openly. Islam teaches us to carry a message of peace with us and improve the status of society wherever we go and the best way to achieve this is to create amity, friendliness and concord between human-beings; therefore, Muslims should try to develop friendship of these people and should never resort to wrong use of power, force and arrogance. They should not be over-taxed, should not be humiliated and should not be forced out of their homes, lands and trades. Their priests should be treated with due respects, their monastries should be protected, they should be allowed to carry on their lectures, teachings and preachings as usual and their religious ceremonies should not be prohibited. If they want to build their places of worship then fallow and ownerless lands should be allotted to them. One, who disobeys this order is going against the orders of God and the Holy prophet (A.S.) and will deserve His Wrath.
(v) Haris-ibne-Shohail, one of the governor of the provinces, was in Koofa, once he was riding through the city and saw Hazrath Ali also riding. He got down from his horse to accompany Hazrath on foot. Hazrath stopped his horse and said. “It ill- becomes a man to lower himself before anybody but his God, please get upon your horse, even had you not been an officer of the state I would not have allowed you to lower yourself like this, the sight of such humiliation of man before man never pleases me. It is the worst form of tyranny which can be practised.
(vi) There is a letter of Hazrath, which is actually a system of rules and regulations for the administration of a benign government and a code for higher values of morality. it is included in Nahjul Balagha and is referred so often by historians of Europe and Philosophers of Arabia, and even by Justice Kayani in his presidential address in Kara- chi Bar on April 16, 1960 that it now needs no introduction. In this letter there are orders which show that he wanted his officers to remember that the people over whom they rule are the trust entrusted to them by God and should be treated as such.
Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi 