Ali(A.S.): The First Who Came To Believe In Islam

Ali(A.S.): The First Who Came To Believe In Islam

At a time when a severe famine had broken out in Arabia, Abu Talib's financial condition was difficult; indeed unbearable. To reduce his uncle's financial problems, the Prophet took his son, Ali, to his own house and took care of him and raised him like an affectionate father. (1) He had great talent and peerless intelligence. He obeyed the Prophet most sincerely. He soon became quite aware of the Prophet's truthfulness, and, so when he was but ten years old, he accepted the Prophet's faith with perfect awareness, thus becoming the first male to adopt Islam and to believe in the divine faith of the Prophet. (2)
The Presentation of Ritual Prayers as a Religious Duty
After monotheism, worshipping the One God, the first duty that became incumbent upon the Holy Prophet and his followers was the ritual prayer, which in fact demonstrates the significance of ritual prayer as the basis of man's relation to God and as a way of giving thanks for God's endless blessings. So the great leaders of Islam, especially the Holy Prophet of Islam, have laid great emphasis on ritual prayer, saying, Ritual prayer is the pillar of faith (3) and Anybody who disregards the ritual prayer will not enjoy our intercession with God on the Day of Judgment'. (4)
Almighty God described the nature of ritual prayers and the way to perform them through Gabriel to the Prophet, who taught it to Ali and Khadijah and also ordered congregational ritual prayers. (5)
Three Years Of Practical Propagation
For three whole years after the actualization of the prophetic mission of the Prophet, he propagated his faith in secret because the corrupt environment of Arabia, which had been polluted with idolatry and paganism for centuries, was by no means ready for the open propagation of Islam, which is perfect monotheism and opposed to any kind of polytheism.
In the beginning, the Prophet was faced with extremely difficult problems and obstacles that seemed to prevent him from achieving his divine goal - the propagation of Islam. Thus the Holy Prophet of Islam praised the One God before the eyes of the idolaters who worshipped numerous gods and whose worshipping assumed the form of whistling and clapping. He performed the ritual prayers, which included spiritual discourse and praise of Almighty God, Who has no partner nor any peer. The Prophet, accompanied by Ali and Khadija, went to the crowded places like the Masjid ul-Haram and Mana and performed the congregational ritual prayers before the eyes of the enemies of Islam and thus, through his practice, fought polytheistic faiths. (6)
Afif, a merchant of that time, has said, I had gone to Abbas, the son of Abdul Muttalib, on business, when suddenly I observed that a man entered the Masjid ul-Haram, looked up at the sky and the sun and stood praying in front of the Ka'aba. A little later, a woman and a boy came in and accompanied him in his prayer. I asked Abbas about that religion of which I had not yet heard! Abbas said, "This man is Muhammad (peace and the mercy of God be upon him and his descendants), the son of Abdullah. He believes that his God is the Creator of heavens and earth and that God has assigned him to guide people. For the time being his faith has no believers other than these three people. This woman you see is Khadijah, the daughter of Khuwalid, and this boy is Ali, the son of Abu Talib, who have accepted his faith '. (7)
In this way the Holy Prophet of Islam went on with his divine task until gradually the number of Muslims increased and, contrary to the ill-wishes of the opponents of Islam, this faith prevailed. When the atmosphere became suitable for the open propagation of Islam, the Prophet was divinely ordered to act accordingly.
The Invitation to His Relatives and the First Miracle
The propagation through practice of Islam by the Holy Prophet and the increase in the number of his followers paved the way for the open invitation of the people to Islam. God commanded the Holy Prophet of Islam to invite his close relatives. And warn your nearest relatives' (26:214).
this way, backbiters could not say, Why do you not call your own relatives to worship the One God and warn them of God's severe punishment?' Moreover, the support of the relatives of the Prophet would help the promotion of Islam. So the Holy Prophet told Ali to prepare a meal and invite their relatives, who numbered about 40. After preparing the meal, Ali invited them. All the relatives of the Holy Prophet accepted the invitation and ate the meal prepared by the blessed hands of Ali.
Although the food was not sufficient for even one person, all 40 people were full after eating that blessed food and, strangely enough, the food had not diminished at all. This amazed all of them but the obstinate Abu Lahab, who said without thinking, This is magic and charms'. The foolish man disregarded the fact that magic and charms cannot feed people!
On that day the Prophet said nothing about the matter. Perhaps his silence was due to the fact that he wanted them to realize the difference between a miracle' and magic' because if magic were the cause the guests would feel hungry after leaving the house of the Holy Prophet.
Since this gathering did not give any favourable result, the Holy Prophet invited them for the next day. Again the same reception was repeated and all were filled. Yet the food was not reduced even after the meal was over.
Then the Prophet said, 0 sons of Abdul Muttalib. God has assigned me to warn you of the painful torments of the wrongdoers and give you the good news of His reward to the pious believers. Become Muslims and follow me to achieve salvation.
I swear by Almighty God that among all Arabs I do not know anyone who has brought his people anything better than what I have brought you. I have brought you prosperity and salvation both in this world and in the hereafter. The Gracious God has commanded me to call you all to worship Him. Now which one of you is willing to help me with the task?
Anybody who announces his readiness to help me will be my brother, my successor, and the executor of my will'.
Nobody answered but Ali, who was the youngest. He stood up and said, "O Prophet of God. I am your assistant. I am your supporter".
The Prophet asked him to sit down. He repeated the same saying three times but no one except Ali replied to him. Then the Prophet pointed to Ali and said: "He is my brother, my successor and the executor of my will among you. Listen to him and obey him" (8) ~
It was on this very day that a number of people came to believe in the faith of the Holy Prophet of Islam,~ but ignorance and bigotry hindered some of his relatives from believing in his message. However, this gathering was effective in gaining support for the Holy Prophet.
In addition to the fact of the extraordinary event - 40 people being fed with a small amount of food - there is another remarkable point in this event - the remarks the Holy Prophet made about his cousin Ali on that day. They clearly prove the fact that Ali was the Prophet's righteous successor and Caliph, and thus we must regard Ali as the successor of the Holy Prophet of Islam.
Thus the way was paved for the public invitation of the people to Islam and open propagation of this divine faith. The Prophet demonstrated indefatigable perseverance in fulfilling this divine duty and did not stop his invaluable teachings, outreach and struggles for a single hour. It was then that the magnificent banner of Islam was hoisted and truth began to be promoted.
Notes:
1-Sireh ibn Hisham, Vol. 1 p. 246; Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 18, p. 208
2- Ibid., Sireh, p. 245; Bihar al-Anwar, p. 188; al-Ghadir, Vol. 3, p. 219-214; Tarikh Tabari, Vol. 3, p. 1160
3- Wasa'il al-Shi'ah, Second edition, 1384 A.H.L, Vol. 3, p. 16,17.
4- Ibid.
5- A'lam al-Wara p. 37; Jami' a-Ahadith Shi'ah, Vol.2, p. 31. It is to be noted that at that time each of the prayers were two cycles (rak'at).
6- Tarikh Tabari, Vol. 3, p. 1122.
7- A'lam al-Wara p. 38, printed in 1390; Tarikh Tabari, Vol. 3 p. 1162.
8- Tarikh Tabari, Vol. 3 p. 1171-1173; Tafsir Majma' al-Bayan, Vol 7, p. 206; Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 18 p. 192. This point is confirmed by all Islamic as well as non-Islamic historians and is among the confirmed facts of History. Al-Ghadir, Vol. 2, p. 278.

Ali(A.S.) first to declare belief in Prophet of Allah(S.A.W.)
Moreover, on the crucial occasion of the declaration of his prophethood, no one supported Muhammad except Ali. Your eminent ulema, like Bukhari and Muslim, in their Sahihain, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal in his Musnad, and many others, such as
Ibn Abdi'l-Birr in Isti'ab, Volume III, page 32, Imam Abu Abdu'r-Rahman Nisa'i in Khasa'isu'l-Alawi, Sibt Ibn Jauzi in Tadhkira, page 63, Sheikh Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi in Yanabiu'l-Mawadda, Chapter 12, on the authority of Tirmidhi and Muslim, Muhammad bin Talha Shafi'i in Matalibu's-Su'ul, sub-chapter I, Ibn Abi'l-Hadid in Sharh Nahju'l-Balagha, Volume III, p. 258, Tirmidhi in Jam'-e-Tirmidhi, Volume II, page 314, Hamwaini in Fara'id, Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani in Mawaddatu'l-Qurba, and even the fanatical Ibn Hajar in Sawa'iq-e-Muhriqa, and other prominent scholars have, with slight variation of words, related from Anas Bin Malik and others that "the Holy Prophet was ordained Prophet of Allah on Monday and Ali, declared his faith in him on Tuesday."
It is also narrated that "The prophethood of Allah was declared on Monday and Ali offered prayers with the Holy Prophet on Tuesday." And again, "Ali was the first man who declared his faith in the Prophet." Also Tabari, Ibn Abi'l-Hadid, Tirmidhi, and others narrate from Ibn Abbas that "Ali was the first to offer prayers."
Training of Ali(A.S.) from Childhood by The Holy Prophet(S.A.W.)
I ask you to consider what your own learned theologian, Nuru'd-din Bin Sabbagh Maliki in his Fusulu'l-Muhimma, Chapter "Tarbiatu'n-Nabi," page 16, and Muhammad Bin Talha Shafi'i in his Matalibu's-Su'ul, Chapter 1, page 11, and others have reported. During a famine in Mecca, the Prophet told his uncle, Abbas, that the latter's brother, Abu Talib, had too many children and that his means of livelihood were narrow.
Muhammad recommended that each of them ask Abu Talib for one child to support so that the heavy burden on him would be reduced. Abbas agreed. They went to Abu Talib with their offer, and he accepted. Abbas took Ja'far-e-Tayyar under his guardianship, and the Prophet took Ali. Maliki continues, "Ali remained continuously with the Holy Prophet until the latter was formally declared the Prophet of Allah."
Ali declared his belief in him, and followed him as a prophet of Allah when Ali was only thirteen. He was the first male to accept Islam. The Prophet's wife Khadija was the only person to accept the Prophet before Ali. In the same chapter, Maliki reports that Ibn Abbas, Jabir Ibn Abdullah Ansari, Zaid Ibn Arqam, Muhammad Ibn Munkadar, and Rabi'atu'l-Mara'i said that the first person after Khadija who believed in the Prophet was Ali. He says that Ali referred to this fact, which has been narrated by your ulema. He said: "Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah, is my brother and son of my uncle; Hamza, the chief of the martyrs, is my uncle; Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet, is my wife; and his daughter's two sons are my sons by Fatima.
Who of you has shared such distinction as I have? I was the foremost in accepting Islam when I was only a child. The Prophet declared on the day of Ghadir-e-Khum that it was obligatory to accept me as your guide. (Then he said three times) 'Woe be to him who faces Allah tomorrow (on the Day of Judgement), if he has subjected me to cruelty.'"
Muhammad Bin Talha Shafi'i in his Matalibu's-Su'ul, Part 1, Chapter 1, page 11, and many others of your learned men, have reported that these statements were in reply to Mu'awiya's letter to Ali, in which the former had boasted that his father was the chief of his tribe during the "time of ignorance," and that in Islam he (Mu'awiya) was the King. Mu'awiya also said that he was the "maternal uncle of the faithful," the "writer of the Wahi" (revelations), and a man of virtuous merits."
After reading the letter, Ali said: "A man of his character - the son of the woman who chewed livers - boasts before me! (in reference to Mu'awiya's mother, Hind, who, after the Battle of Uhud, in a fit of rage, ripped open the dead body of Hamza, tore out his liver, and chewed it). Mu'awiya, even though he was bitterly opposed to Ali, could not deny these merits.
Moreover, Hakim Abu'l-Qasim Haskani, one of your learned ulema, narrates from Abdu'r-Rahman Bin Auf, regarding the above verse of the ten Quraish who accepted Islam, that Ali was the foremost among them. Ahmad Bin Hanbal, Khatib Khawarizmi, and Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi narrate from Anas bin Malik that the Prophet said: "The angels blessed me and Ali for seven years, for during that time no voice proclaimed the oneness of Allah except mine and Ali's."
Ibn Abi'l-Hadid Mu'tazali, in Sharh-e-Nahju'l-Balagha, Volume I, pages 373-5, recorded several hadith narrated through your scholars to the effect that Ali was the foremost of all others in the matter of Islam. After recording the various versions and narrations he concludes: "So the sum total of what we have stated is that Ali is the first of all men regarding Islam. The view contrary to it is rare and not worth our attention."
Imam Abu Abdu'r-Rahman Nisa'i, author of one of the six books of authentic hadith, has recorded in Khasa'isu'l-Alawi the first six hadith on this topic and has confirmed that the foremost person in Islam and the first to offer prayers with the Prophet was Ali. In addition, Sheikh Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi in Yanabiu'l-Mawadda, Chapter 12, recorded 31 hadith from Tirmidhi, Hamwaini, Ibn Maja, Ahmad bin Hanbal, Hafiz Abu Nu'aim, Imam Tha'labi, Ibn Maghazili, Abu'l-Muwayyid Khawarizmi, and Dailami, the conclusion of which is that Ali was the first in the entire Muslim community to have accepted Islam. Even the intolerant Ibn Hajar Makki has in Sawa'iq Muhriqa, Chapter 2, recorded hadith on the same issue, some of which have been accepted by Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi in his Yanabiu'l-Mawadda.
Further, in Yanabiu'l-Mawadda, towards the close of chapter 12, he related from Ibn Zubair, Makki and he from Jabir Ibn Abdullah Ansari, a hadith about Ali's merits, which I would like to present here with your permission in order to conclude my argument. The Prophet said: "Allah Almighty chose me as a Prophet and revealed sacred scriptures to me. I said to Him, 'O Allah, My master, You sent Moses to Pharaoh, Moses asked you to make his brother, Aaron, his vizier to strengthen his hand, so that his words might be witnessed. Now I ask you, O Allah, that you appoint for me from among my family a vizier who may strengthen my hand. Make Ali my vizier and brother, infuse gallantry into his heart, and give him power over the enemy.
Ali was the first person to believe in me and to witness my prophethood and the first person to declare the oneness of Allah along with me.' Afterward I continued to pray to Allah. Therefore, Ali is the chief of the successors. To follow him is a blessing; to die in obedience to him is martyrdom. His name appears in the Torah along with my name; his wife, the most truthful, is my daughter; his two sons, who are the chiefs of the Youth of Paradise, are my sons. After them all the Imams are vicegerents of Allah over His creation after the prophets; and they are the doors of knowledge among my people.
He who follows them is rescued from Hellfire; he who follows them is guided to the right path; he who is endowed by Allah with love for them will surely be sent to Paradise. So, enlightened people, take heed."
I could quote similar hadith all night, all of which have been recorded by your own scholars. But I think this is enough. Ali alone associated with the Holy Prophet from childhood, and therefore it is fitting that we consider him the person referred to in the words "those who are with him," and not the one who accompanied the Prophet on a few days' journey.

Ali's Faith While Only A Child
Hafiz: You have proven your point, and no one has ever denied that Ali was foremost in accepting Islam. But this fact does not qualify him as pre-eminent in comparison with other companions. True, the high caliphs professed faith in Islam years after Ali, but their faith was different from his and better. The reason is that Ali was only a child, and these people were mature. Obviously, the faith of older, wise men was superior to that of a child. In addition, Ali's faith was only blind following, and the faith of these people was based on reason. Faith acquired by reason is better than blind faith. Since a child, who is not under a religious obligation to perform duties, does not profess faith except by blind following, so Ali, who was only a child of thirteen, professed his faith only through blind following.
Well-Wisher: Such talk is really surprising coming from a learned man like you. I wonder how to refute such an argument. If I were to say that you adopt such a position out of malice, it would be against my disposition to attribute such a motive to a learned man. Let me put a question to you: was Ali's acceptance of Islam based on his personal wish or on the invitation of the Prophet?
Hafiz: Why do you take such a severe view of the way we talk since, when we have doubts, we must discuss them. In reply to your question, I admit that Ali accepted Islam at the invitation of the Holy Prophet.
Well-Wisher: When the Prophet invited Ali to accept Islam, did the former know a child is not bound by religious commitments? If you say that he did not know it, you attribute ignorance to him, and if he did know it and invited Ali anyway, then his action was absurd. Obviously, to attribute absurdity to the Prophet is infidelity since a prophet is infallible. Allah says about him in the Holy Qur'an: "Nor does he speak out of desire. It is naught but revelation that is revealed." (53:3-4)
The Prophet considered Ali a person worthy to be invited to accept Islam. Apart from this, youth does not necessarily preclude wisdom. Maturity is taken into consideration concerning discharge of religious obligations, but not for matters connected with wisdom. Faith is concerned with matters relating to wisdom and not religious laws. So Ali's faith during childhood is a virtue for him just as Allah tells us in the Holy Qur'an about Jesus in these words: "He said: Surely I am a servant of Allah; He has given me the Book and made me a prophet." (19:30) Also in this chapter He says about Prophet Yahya: "...and We granted him wisdom while yet a child." (19:12)
Seyyed Ali Humairi Yamani, (died 179 A.H.), points to the same fact in his couplets. He says: "Just as Yahya reached the rank of prophethood in his childhood, Ali, who was the successor of the Prophet and the father of his sons, was also ordained Vicegerent of Allah and guardian of the people while only a child."
Virtue and dignity bestowed by Allah do not depend on age. Wisdom and intelligence depend upon an inborn tendency. I am surprised by your comment since such arguments were made by the Nasibis and Kharijis at the instigation of the Umayyads. They denigrated Ali's faith as being mere blind adherence to what he was taught. Even your own scholars have acknowledged Ali's merit in this respect.
Muhammad Bin Talha Shafi'i, Ibn Sabbagh Maliki, Ibn Abi'l-Hadid and others have quoted Ali's couplets. In one of his couplets he says: "I was first and foremost among you in embracing Islam when I was only a small child." If Ali's faith at such a tender age had not been meritorious, the Prophet would not have characterized it as such.
Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi in his Yanabiu'l-Mawadda, Chapter 55, page 202, narrates from Ahmad Bin Abdullah Shafi'i, quoting from the second Caliph, Umar Bin Khattab, who said, "Abu Bakr, Abu Ubaida Jarra, and a group of people were present in the company of the Prophet of Allah when he patted Ali on the shoulder and said: 'O Ali! You are the first and foremost among all believers and Muslims in embracing Islam. You are to me as Aaron was to Moses.'"
Also Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal narrates from Ibn Abbas, who said that he, Abu Bakr, Abu Ubaida Bin Jarra, and others were with the Prophet when he put his hand on Ali's shoulder and said: "You are foremost in faith in Islam among all the Muslims, and you are to me as Aaron was to Moses, O Ali! He who thinks he is my friend while he is your enemy is a liar."
Ibn Sabbagh Maliki records a similar hadith in Fusulu'l-Muhimma, p. 125, from Khasa'isu'l-Alawi as a narration of Abdullah bin Abbas, and Imam Abu Abdu'r-Rahman Nisa'i reports in Khasa'isu'l-Alawi that he said: "I have heard Umar bin Khattab saying 'Mention Ali's name with respect because I have heard the Prophet saying that Ali has three qualities. I (Umar) wished that I had only one of them because each of those qualities is dearer to me than anything in this world.'"
Ibn Sabbagh has narrated the following in addition to what others have recorded. The Holy Prophet said about Ali, "He who loves you loves me, and he who loves me, Allah loves him, and whomever Allah loves, He brings to Paradise. But he who is hostile to you is hostile to me, and he who is hostile to me, Allah is hostile to him and condemns him to Hell."
Ali's declaring himself a Muslim even while he was still a boy establishes the excellence of his wisdom and merit, which no other Muslim can attain. Tabari in his Ta'rikh quotes from Muhammad Bin Sa'ad Bin Abi Waqqas, who said: "I asked my father whether Abu Bakr was the first of the Muslims. He said, 'No, more than fifty people embraced Islam before Abu Bakr; but he was superior to us as a Muslim.'" He also writes that Umar Bin Khattab embraced Islam after forty-five men and twenty-one women. "As for the foremost one in the matter of Islam and faith, it was Ali Bin Abi Talib."
Ali's Faith Was Part of His Very Nature
Besides the fact that Ali was foremost in embracing Islam, he possessed another merit, peculiar to him, and more important than his other merits: Ali's Islam derived from his nature, while that of others occurred only after previous unbelief. Unlike other Muslims and companions of the Prophet, Ali was never an unbeliever. Hafiz Abu Nu'aim Ispahani in his Ma Nazalu'l-Qur'an Fi Ali, and Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani in Mawaddatu'l-Qurba narrate that Ibn Abbas said, "I swear by Allah that there was no one who had not worshipped idols before embracing Islam except Ali. He accepted Islam without having ever worshipped the idols."
Muhammad Bin Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i in his Kifayatu't-Talib, Chapter 24, quotes the Prophet as saying, "Those who took the lead in accepting faith in the oneness of Allah among the followers of the Prophets were three people who were never polytheists: Ali Bin Abu Talib, the man in the Sura Ya Sin, and the believer of the people of Pharaoh. The Truthful Ones are Habib-e-Najjar, among the descendants of Ya Sin, Ezekiel among the descendants of Pharaoh, and Ali Bin Abu Talib, who excelled all of them." Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani in Mawaddatu'l-Qurba, Mawadda 7, Khatib Khawarizmi in Manaqib, and Imam Tha'labi in his Tafsir narrate from the second Caliph, Umar Bin Khattab: "I bear witness that I heard the Prophet say, 'If the seven heavens were put in one balance and Ali's faith in the other, Ali's faith would surely outweigh the other.'"
The same point has been included in couplets composed by Sufyan bin Mus'ab bin Kufi as follows: "By Allah, I bear witness that the Prophet said to us: 'It should not remain unknown to anyone that if the faith of all those living on the earth were placed in one scale of the balance and that of Ali in the other scale, Ali's faith would outweigh the other.'"
Ali(A.S.) Excelled All Other Companions And The Whole Ummah In Merit
Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani Shafi'i has recorded many hadith in his Mawaddatu'l-Qurba, which supported Ali's excellence. In the seventh Mawadda he quotes from Ibn Abbas that the Holy Prophet said, "The best of men of all the worlds in my period is Ali."
Most of your fair-minded ulema have accepted the superiority of Ali. Ibn Abi'l-Hadid in his Sharh Nahju'l-Balagha, Volume 111, page 40, says that Abu Ja'far Iskafi, the chief of the Mu'tazilite sect, declared that Bashr Bin Mu'tamar, Abu Musa, Ja'far Bin Mubashshir, and other ulema of Baghdad believed that, "The most excellent person among all Muslims was Ali Bin Abu Talib, and after him his son Hasan, then his son Husain, after him Hamza, and after him Ja'far Bin Abi Talib."
He goes on to say that his master Abu Abdullah Basri, Sheikh Abu'l-Qasim Balkhi, and Sheikh Abu'l-Hasan Khayyat had the same belief as Abu Ja'far Iskafi regarding the superiority of Ali. He explains the faith of the Mu'tazilite sect saying: "The best of the men after the Prophet of Allah, is the successor of the Prophet, the husband of Fatima, Ali; after him, his two sons, Hasan and Husain; after them, Hamza, and after him Ja'far (Tayyar).
Sheikh: If you knew the statements of the ulema in support of the excellence of Abu Bakr, you would not have made such remarks.
Ali's Faith Superior To Abu Bakr's
Well-Wisher: All the reliable Sunni ulema have acknowledged the superiority of Ali. For instance, you may refer Ibn Abi'l-Hadid Mu'tazali's Sharhe Nahju'l-Balagha, Volume 111, page 264, in which the same statement has been quoted from Jahiz that Abu Bakr's faith was superior to that of Ali. However, Abu Ja'far Askafi, one of the eminent ulema of the Mu'tazilite sect, rejected this claim, saying that Ali's faith was superior to Abu Bakr's and all other companions.
Abu Ja'far said, "We do not deny the excellence of the companions, but certainly we do not consider any of them superior to Ali." Ali was of such an exalted rank that to mention his name along with other companions is unbecoming. In fact, the virtues of the companions cannot be compared with the sublime merits of Ali. Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani narrates in his Mawadda VII from Ahmad Bin Muhammadu'l-Karzi Baghdadi, who said that he heard from Abdullah Bin Ahmad Bin Hanbal, who asked his father Ahmad Bin Hanbal about the rank of the companions of the Prophet. He named Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman and stopped. Abdullah then asked his father, "Where is the name of Ali Bin Abu Talib?" His father replied, "He belongs to the holy descendants of the Prophet. We cannot mention his name (being of such prominence) along with those people."
We see in the holy Qur'an that in the verse of Mubahila Ali is referred to as the 'self' of the Holy Prophet. There is a hadith in support of this view, which is recorded in the same Mawadda VII, narrated from Abdullah Bin Umar Bin Khattab. He said that one day while counting the names of the companions, he named Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman. A man said, "O Abu Abdu'r-Rahman! Why did you omit the name of Ali?" He replied: "Ali is one of the descendants of the Prophet. He cannot be included with anyone else. He is in the same category as the Prophet of Allah."
Let me relate another hadith from the same Mawadda. It is narrated from Jabir Bin Abdullah Ansari that one day in the presence of Muhajirs (Meccan emigrants living in Medina) and Ansars ("helpers" of Medina who received the Muslim emigrants into their community), that the Prophet said to Ali, "O Ali! If a man offers complete prayers to Allah, and then doubts that you and your family are superior to all other beings, his abode shall be Hell."
(After hearing this hadith, all those present, particularly Mr. Hafiz, showed repentance, lest they should be among the doubtful ones).
I have referred to only a few hadith. Your choice seems to be to reject all these authentic hadith, which are recorded in your own books, or to acknowledge that Ali's faith was superior to that of all the companions, including Abu Bakr and Umar. I also ask you to consider the hadith (acknowledged by both sects) in which the Holy Prophet said on the occasion of Ghazawa-e-Ahzab (also known as the Battle of the Trench), when Ali killed Amru Ibn Abd-e-Wudd with one stroke of his sword: "One stroke of Ali in the Battle of Khandaq (the Trench) has earned more merit for him than the reward for good deeds of the whole community (jinn and men) until the Day of Judgement." If only one stroke of his sword was better in merit than the prayers of jinn and human beings combined, certainly his preeminence cannot be questioned by anyone except malicious fanatics.

Ali(A.S.) As The Self Of The Holy Prophet(S.A.W.)
Had there been no other proof of Ali's superiority to all the companions and to humanity at large, the verse of Mubahila is sufficient to prove his excellence. It refers to Ali as the 'self' of the Prophet. The Holy Prophet was admittedly superior to all of humanity from beginning to end. Hence, the word "anfusana" (ourselves) in the verse referring to Ali proves that he was also superior to all of humanity from beginning to end. Perhaps now you will admit that in the phrase "And those who are with him," the reference is to Ali. He was with the Prophet before anyone else from the beginning of Islam.
As to why Ali did not accompany the Prophet on the night of his migration from Mecca, it is clear that the Prophet entrusted Ali with more important duties. No one was as trustworthy as Ali. He was left behind to return to its owners the property entrusted to the Prophet. (Ali's second responsibility was to send members of the Prophet's family and other Muslims to Medina. And even though Ali was not with the Prophet in the cave that night, he performed a more important duty as he lay in the Prophet's bed.)
Source: Peshawar Nights, by Sultanu'l-Wa'izin Shirazi. Translated by Hamid Quinlan and Charles Ali Cambell.
Reports of his Priority in Belief in God and His Apostle and of his being the First of all Responsible Men in (Faith)
[Abu al-Jaysh al-Muzaffar b. Muhammad al-Balkhi informed me: Abu Bakr Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Abi Thalj informed us: Abu al-Hasan Ahmad b. (Muhammad b.) al-Qasim al-Barqi told us: 'Abd al-Rahman b. Salih al-Azdi told me: Asad b. 'Ubayda told us on the authority of Yahya b. 'Afif b. Qays, on the authority of his father ('Afif b. Qays), (1) who said:]
I was sitting with al-'Abbas b. 'Abd al-Muttalib, may God be pleased with him, in Mecca, before the affairs of the Prophet became known to the public. A man came and looked up towards the sky where the sun hovered above. He turned in the direction of the Ka'ba and stood to pray. Then a youth came and stood at his right and a woman came and stood behind them both. The man bowed, and the youth and the woman bowed. The man raised his hands and the youth and the woman raised their hands. Then he prostrated and they both prostrated.
"'Abbas!" I exclaimed, "it is a fantastic affair!"
"Indeed, it is a fantastic affair," replied al-'Abbas. "Do you know who that man is? He is Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah b. 'Abd al-Muttalib, my cousin. Do you know who that youth is? He is 'Ali b. Abi Talib, my cousin. Do you know who that woman is? She is Khadija, daughter of Khuwaylid. This cousin of mine (i.e. Muhammad) has told me that his Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Who has ordered him to carry out this religion (din) which he is practising. No, by God, there are not any on the face of the earth, who practise this religion except these three."
[Abu Hafs 'Umar b. Muhammad al-Sayrafi informed me: Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Abi Thalj told me on the authority of Ahmad b. Muhammad b. al-Qasim al-Barqi, on the authority of Abu Salih Sahl b. Salih - it was about the year 100 (A. H.) - who said I heard Abu al-Mu'ammar 'Abbad b. 'Abd al-Samad who said: I heard Anas b. Malik say:]
The Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, said: "The angels bless me and 'Ali for seventy years, because (for a time) only 'Ali and I raised the testimony to heaven that there is no god but God and Muhammad is the Apostle of God."
[By the same chain of transmitters on the authority of Ahmad b. (Muhammad b.) al-Qasim al-Barqi: Ishaq told us: Nuh b. Qays told us: Sulayman b. 'Ali al-Hashimi Abu Fatima told us: I heard Muadha al-'Adawiyya say:]
I heard 'Ali b. Abi Talib say on the pulpit at Basra: "I am the greater testifier of truth (siddiq) for I believed before Abu Bakr believed; I became a Muslim before he became a Muslim."
[Abu Nasr Muhammad b. al-Husayn al-Muqri al-Basri al-Sayrawani informed: Abu Bakr Muhammad b. (Ahmad b.) Abi Thalj told us: Abu Muhammad al-Nawfali told us on the authority of Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Hamid, on the authority of 'Umar b. 'Abd al-Ghiffar al-Faqimi who said: Ibrahim b. Hayyan reported to me on the authority of Abu 'Abd Allah, retainer of Banu Hashim, on the authority of Abu Sukhayla, who said:]
I and 'Ammar went on the pilgrimage. We stopped at the house of Abu Dharr, may God be pleased with him, and stayed with him for three days. When the time of our departure was at hand, I said to him: "Abu Dharr, we consider that nothing except confusion has come over the people. What is your view?"
"Cleave to the Book and 'Ali b. Abi Talib," he replied, "then bear witness to the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, who said: "'Ali was the first to believe in me and will be the first to shake my hand in greetings on the Day of Resurrection. He is the greatest testifier of the truth (siddiq) and discerner of truth and falsehood. He is the chief of the believers and money is the chief cause of wrong-doing.'
Al-Shaykh al-Mufid, may God be pleased with him, comments: The reports with this meaning are numerous as testimonies (of it) are bulky.
[Among such are the words of Khuzayma b. Thabit al-Ansari, the man who gave two testimonies, in what was reported to me by Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad b. 'Imran al-Marzubani on the authority of Muhammad b. al-'Abbas who said:]
Muhammad b. Yazid al-Nahwi recited to us on the authority of Ibn 'A'isha (the words) of Khuzayma b. Thabit al-Ansari, may God be pleased with him:
I never thought that this affair would leave the clan of Hashim, and then within it (that) it would leave Abu Hasan (i.e. 'Ali).
Was he not the first to pray with their (i.e. the Muslims') Qibla (direction of prayer), and the most knowledgeable man in traditions and practice?
(Was he not) the last of men with whom the Prophet made a covenant (ahd), and the one whose helper was Gabriel in washing and shrouding (the body of the Prophet)?
He it is in whom there is what others are not distinguished by. There is not among the people the good which is in him.
What is it which makes you reject him, for we know him? Yet your pledge of allegiance is made through the greatest cheating.
Notes: 1-Al-Tabari, Tarikh (Leiden 1879-1901) I, 1160-1. The isnad has the same three first authorities, but it seems from the full isnad that it was not taken from al-Tabari.