Remembering Hazrat Ali on his death anniversary

Hazrat Ali, whose death anniversary is observed on 21st of Ramadan, is considered as the leader of the pious, master of successors, the commander of the faithful, the bravest on the battlefield and the most ferocious in face of enemy of God

A truly unique character, he is credited with combining and bringing together all these good intrinsic worth in the same human being.

He was the first cousin of the Prophet Mohammad. His father Abu Talib and the father of the prophet Abdullah were the son of Abdul Muttalib.

Hazrat Ali was born on the 13th Rajab (month as per Islamic calendar) in 610 A.D in the precincts of Kaaba (Mecca, Saudi Arabia).The holy prophet put his young cousin in his charge and gave him the name of Ali, saying that it was the name decreed for him by god.

None can praise Hazrat Ali to the extent that he deserves.

So many instances of the piety, bravery, universal knowledge and fear of God are cited that one starts loving and venerating him. He was the true follower and torch-bearer of Islam

He was a great man having his own independent views about life and its problems. He never deceived, misled or betrayed anybody. In various periods of his life, he exhibited marvelous strength of body and mind, which were due to true faith in religion.

On the morning of the 19th of Ramadan 40 A.H, Hazrat Ali came into the great mosque of Kufa and called Adhan (the call to prayer). He took his place in the alcove, and moments later, the worshippers began to arrive. They stood behind him in serried ranks, and the prayer began.

Standing in the front row, with other worshippers was Abdur Rahman bin Muljam. He was watching Hazrat Ali’s movements. In the folds of his cloak, he was carrying sword burnished to a high sheen, and soaked in poison.

Just when Ali touched the ground with his forehead for ‘sajda’, Abdur Rahman bin Muljam stepped out of his row, and crept into the alcove. And just when Ali lifted his head from the ground, he struck the fatal blow at his forehead with such deadly force that it split open.

Blood squirted from Hazrat Ali’s forehead in several jets, and he exclaimed:

“By the Lord of the Kaaba, I am successful!”

The members of the congregation realized what had happened, and as soon as they concluded the prayer, they surrounded him. His sons, Hasan and Husain, carried him to his house. A physician came, and tried to dress the ghastly wound but could not stop the bleeding. The blow of the sword was fatal anyway, but the poison from its blade was also spreading rapidly in his body.

Ali spent the time still left to him in prayer and devotions; in dictating his will; in giving instructions to his sons, ministers and generals regarding the conduct of the government; and urging them all never to forget the old, the sick, the poor, the widows and the orphans at any time. Hazrat Ali declared that his elder son, Imam Hasan, would succeed him as the head of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, and as the sovereign of all Muslims.

Though Hazrat Ali was steadily weakening from the loss of blood and from the action of poison, all his faculties were sharp and clear right to the last moment. To all those people who came to see him, he said that they ought to be aware, at all times, of the presence of their Creator in their lives, to love Him, to serve Him, and to serve His Creation.

On the morning of the 21st of Ramadan, Ali ibn Abi Talib left this world to go into the presence of his Creator whom he had loved and served all his life.

Hazrat Ali represented the ultimate triumph of character and ideology.

HAZRAT ALI REPRESENTED THE ULTIMATE TRIUMPH OF CHARACTER AND IDEOLOGY.