197. Prophet Gave The Glad Tidings Of Ali’s Martyrdom

1008) The Prophet (S) said:
I congratulate for the martyrdom that is destined for you. After me, you will be persecuted and assassinated.

‘Ali (‘a) asked, “At that time would I be steadfast on my faith?”

The Prophet (S) replied, Your faith is perfect.1

قَالَ رَسُولُ االلهِ صَلَّىٰ االلهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: «يَا عَلِيُّ! أَبْشِرْ بِالشَّـهَادَةِ، فَإِنَّـكَ مَظْلُـومٌ بَعْـدِي وَمَقْتُولٌ.» فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ: «يَا رَسُولَ االلهِ! وَذٰلِكَ فِي سَلاَمَةٍ مِنْ دِينِي؟» قَالَ: «فِي سَلاَمَةٍ مِنْ دِينِكَ.»

1009) Ayesha narrates that she saw the Prophet embracing ‘Ali and while kissing his forehead, said: May my father be ransom upon this single martyr.2

بِالإِسْنَادِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ: رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّىٰ االلهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ الْتَزَمَ عَلِيّاً وَقَبَّلَهُ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: بِأَبِي الْوَحِيدُ الشَّهِيدُ.

‘Ali Doesn’t Fear Death

1010) Imam ‘Ali (‘a) said:
By God, Abu Talib’s son is more fond of death than a child is fond of its mother’s breasts.3

فِي حَدِيثٍ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ: وَااللهِ، لاَبْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ آنَسُ بِالْمَوْتِ مِنَ الطِّفْلِ بِثَـدْيِ أُمِّهِ.

1011) Ibn Nubatah narrates that he asked ‘Ali (‘a): “The Prophet (S) used to apply Henna to his beard, why don’t you?” ‘Ali (‘a) replied,
I am waiting for the moment a wretch of this community would color my beard red with the blood flowing from the gash in my head. This is what was foretold to me by the Prophet (S).4

عَنِ ابْنِ نُبَاتَةَ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لأَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ: «مَا مَنَعَكَ مِنَ الْخِضَابِ وَقَدِ اخْتَضَبَ رَسُولُ االلهِ صَلَّىٰ االلهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ؟» قَالَ: «أَنْتَظِرُ أَشْقَاهَا أَنْ يَخْضِبَ لِحْيَتِي مِـنْ دَمِ رَأْسِـي بِعَهْدٍ مَعْهُودٍ أَخْبَرَنِي بِهِ حَبِيبِي رَسُولُ االلهِ صَلَّىٰ االلهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ.»

By The Lord Of The Ka’bah, I Have Triumphed

1012) Qanaduzi writes [in his book entitled Yanabi’ al-Mawaddah]: When ‘Ali (‘a) was struck fatally on the head he said:
By the Lord of the Ka’bah, I have triumphed.5

عَنِ الْقَنَدُوزِيِّ (فِي يَنَابِيعِ الْمَوَدَّةِ) قَالَ: وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ رَأْسُهُ الشَّرِيفُ بِالسَّيْفِ قَـالَ: «فُـزْتُ وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ.»

1013) When the wretched Ibn Muljam fatally struck ‘Ali (‘a) on the head, ‘Ali (‘a) told his son al-Hasan (‘a):
By God, I have triumphed. Your father shall never encounter anything evil after this day.6

وَقَوْلُهُ لِلْحَسَنِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ لَمَّا ضَرَبَهُ ابْنُ مُلجَمٍ: فُزْتُ وَااللهِ! وَما يَرَىٰ أَبُوكَ سُوءً بَعْدَ هٰـذَا الْيَومِ.

Merits Of Visiting Ali’s Tomb

1014) Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) quotes through his ancestors that the Prophet (S) said:
Whoever visits Ali’s tomb has an ascertained place in Paradise.7

عَنِ الصَّادِقِ، عَنْ آبَائِهِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلاَمُ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّىٰ االلهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ قَالَ: مَنْ زَارَ عَلِيّاً بَعْـدَ وَفَاتِهِ فَلَهُ الْجَنَّةُ.

1015) Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) said:
The doors of heavens open up when a pilgrim to Amir Al-Mu’minin’s tomb supplicates. Do not sleep over and loose the reward.8

وَعَنِ الصَّادِقِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ: إِنَّ أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ لَتُفْتَحُ عِنْدَ دُعَاءِ الزَّائِرِ لأَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْـهِ السَّلاَمُ، فَلاَ تَكُنْ عَنِ الْخَيْرِ نَوَّاماً.

1016) Abu Shu’ayb Khurasani asked Imam al-Ridha (‘a):
“Is a visitation to the tomb of Imam Husayn (‘a) better than a visitation to Ali’s tomb?”

The Imam replied:
Imam Husayn was martyred in a state of grief and desolation. It is incumbent upon God to come to the rescue of every desolate and grief stricken person who visits Imam Husayn’s tomb. The merits of visiting Imam Husayn’s tomb over Imam Ali’s tomb is the same as the merits of ‘Ali over al-Husayn.9

بِالإِسْنَادِ، عَنْ أَبِي شُعَيْبٍ الْخُرَاسَانِيِّ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لأِبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّـلاَمُ: «أَيُّمَـا أَفْضَلُ: زِيَارَةُ قَبْرِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ أَوْ زِيَارَةُ الْحُسَيْنِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ؟» قَالَ: إِنَّ الْحُسَيْنَ قُتِلَ مَكْرُوباً، فَحَقِيقٌ عَلَىٰ االلهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَلاَّ يَأْتِيَهُ مَكْرُوبٌ إِلاَّ فَرَّجَ االلهُ كَرْبَهُ. وَفَضْلُ زِيَارَةِ قَبْرِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ عَلَىٰ زِيَارَةِ الْحُسَيْنِ كَفَضْلِ أَمِيرِ الْمُـؤْمِنِينَ عَلَىٰ الْحُسَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ...

1017) Al-Husayn Ibn Isma’il al-Saymari reports from Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) who said:
Whoever visits Imam Ali’s tomb on foot, God would write, for every step the pilgrim takes, the reward of one Hajj and one ‘Umrah and if he returns back home on foot, for every step the pilgrim takes, God would set forth a reward of two Hajj and two ‘Umrah.10

بِالإِسْنَادِ، عَنْ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الصَّيْمَرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ االلهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ قَالَ: مَـنْ زَارَ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ مَاشِياً، كَتَبَ االلهُ لَهُ بِكُلِّ خُطْوَةٍ حِجَّةً وَعُمْرَةً. فَإِن رَجَعَ مَاشِياً، كَتَبَ االلهُ لَهُ بِكُلِّ خُطْوَةٍ حِجَّتَيْنِ وَعُمْرَتَيْنِ.

198. Date And Place Of Ali’s Martyrdom

1018) It has been narrated in Jami’ Al-Akhbar that Imam ‘Ali (‘a) got martyred on the Thursday night when it was nine days left until the end of the month of Ramadhan of 40 AH in the city of Kufah. At the time of his martyrdom, Imam ‘Ali (‘a) was 63 years old. His tomb is in Najaf al-Ashraf and his murderer was Abd al-Rahman Ibn Muljam. May Allah, angels, and everyone’s curse be upon him. 11

وَقُبِضَ (صَلَوَاتُ اللہِ عَلَیْہِ) قَتِیْلاًً بِالکُوفَۃِ لَیلۃَ اَلجُمُعَۃِ لِتِسْعِ لَیالٍ بَقِینَ مِنْ شَھْرِ رَمَضانَ سَنَۃَ اٴَرْبَعِینَ مِنَ الھِجْرَۃِ، وَلَہٗ یَوْمَئِذٍ ثَلاتٌ وَ سِتّونَ سَنَۃً، (وَقَبْرُہٗ بِالغری مِنْ نَجَفِ الکُوفَۃِ وَقَاتِلُہٗ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمنِ بْنِ مُلْجَمٍ عَلَیْہِ لَعْنَۃُ اللہِ وَالمَلائِکَۃِ وَالنَّاسِ اٴَجْمَعِینَ)

1019) It has been narrated in Irshad and other historic books that Amir al-Muminin ‘Ali’s (‘a) martyrdom took place on Thursday night, 21 Ramadhan al-Mubarak, 40 AH. Due to the blow of Ibn Muljam’s sword, on the night of the 19th of Ramadhan al-Mubarak, Imam ‘Ali’s (‘a) forehead was (severely) injured and (later) got martyred due to the same wound. At the time of his martyrdom, Imam ‘Ali (‘a) was 63 years old12

إِعْلَم اٴَنَّ وَفَاۃ اٴَمِیرِالمُومِنینَ عَلیہِ السَّلامُ کَانَتْ لَیلَۃَ الجُمُعَۃِ لَیلَۃَ إحدٰی وَ عِشرِیْنِ مِن شَھْرِ رَمَضَانَ سَنَۃَ اٴَربِعِینَ مِنَ الھِجْرَۃِ قَتِیلاً بِالسَّیفِ قَتَلَہُ ابْنُ مُلْجَمٍ لَعْنَۃُ اللہِ لَیلَۃَ تِسْعِ عَشْرَۃَ فِی مَسجِدِ الکُوفَۃِ وَکَانَتْ سَنَۃُ یَومِ وَفاتِہٖ ثَلَاثَاً وَ سِتِّینَ سَنَۃً

• 1. Ghayat Al-Maram, vol. 1, p. 92.
• 2. Manaqib by Al-Khawarizmi, p. 65; Ihqaq Al-Haqq, vol. 15, p. 600.
• 3. Nahj al-Balaghah, p. 48; Sabhi al-Saleh, p. 52; Ihqaq Al-Haqq, vol. 8, p. 321.
• 4. Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 41, p. 164.
• 5. Al-Fusul Al-Mi’ah, vol. 5, p. 485.
• 6. Al-Mustarshad, p. 367.
• 7. Al-Wasa’il, vol. 10, p. 296; Jami’ Al-Akhbar, p. 74; Al-Tahdhib al-Ahkam, vol. 6, p. 21; Mustadrak al Wasa’il, vol. 10, p. 212.
• 8. Al-Wasa’il, vol. 10, p. 296; Jami’ Al-Akhbar p. 74; Khasa’is al-Aimmah, p. 40; Al-Tahdhib al-Ahkam, vol. 6, p. 23; Mustadrak al-Wasa’il, vol. 12, p. 212.
• 9. Al-Wasa’il, vol. 10, p. 297.
• 10. Al-Wasa’il, vol. 10, p. 296; Al-Tahdhib al-Ahkam, vol. 6, p. 20; Al-Wafi, vol. 14, p. 1404; Al-Gharat, vol. 1, p. 854.
• 11. Jami’ Al-Akhbar, p. 74; Al-Tahdhib al-Ahkam, vol. 6, p. 19.
• 12. Rawdhat Al-Wa’izin, vol. 1, p. 132; Al-Irshad by Shaykh Al-Mufid, p. 12.