Why the Merits of Imam Ali (AS) Were Hidden From History - Maulana Syed Muhammad Rizvi

Eid-e-Zehra 1448August 23, 2026- Eid-e-Zahra commemorates the movement of Mukhtar, who avenged the killers of Imam Husayn (AS) in Karbala, and stands as an expression of love for the Ahlul Bayt.- Efforts to diminish the merits of Imam Ali (AS) and his family began immediately after the Prophet (s) and have continued ever since.- Allamah Sayyid Abdul Aziz at-Tabatabai noted that opponents actively concealed, altered, or rejected the merits of Imam Ali (AS), to the point that later generations were surprised even to hear reports transmitted by the Prophet's own companions.- When asked whether Ali (AS) had participated in the Battle of Badr, al-Barra bin Azib affirmed it simply with "Indeed" — a question that itself reflects how obscured such basic facts had become.- Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas told al-Harith bin Malik in Mecca that he had witnessed four merits of Imam Ali (AS), any one of which he would have cherished for a lifetime as long as Prophet Nuh's (AS).- Those four merits included Ali (AS) being sent to convey Allah's ultimatum to the Mushrikin of Mecca after Jibra'il specified it must come from the Prophet (s) or his own family; the closing of all doors into the Prophet's Mosque except those of the Prophet (s) and Ali (AS); the Prophet's description of Ali (AS) at Khaybar as one who loves and is loved by Allah and His Messenger; and the hadith of Ghadir declaring "Whomsoever's master I am, Ali is also his master."- At Tabuk, the Prophet (s) told Imam Ali (AS) that his status was the same as that of Prophet Harun (AS) to Prophet Musa (AS).- Harith bin Uthman al-Himsi, who blamed Imam Ali (AS) for the deaths of his ancestors at Siffin, attempted to corrupt this hadith by changing "Harun" to "Qarun."- Abu Sa'id al-Khudari confirmed to Abdullah bin Alqamah, who habitually vilified Imam Ali (AS), that he had personally heard the hadith of Ghadir from the Prophet (s), affirming that his ears heard it and his heart understood it.- Sulayman bin Mihran al-A'mash, a narrator who lived through the transition from Banu Umayyah to Banu Abbas, transmitted hadith at-tayr from Anas bin Malik, in which the Prophet (s) prayed for the person most beloved to Allah and His Messenger to join him, and Imam Ali (AS) arrived.- Al-A'mash also narrated Imam Ali's (AS) statement identifying himself as "qasimu 'n-nar," the one who will divide people between Hellfire and Paradise, a report he affirmed on his deathbed by citing Abu Sa'id al-Khudari's linking of the Prophet (s) and Ali (AS) to Qur'an 50:23.- When Abu Hanifah's followers pressed Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal to reject the "qasimu 'n-nar" narration, he defended it by reasoning from the hadith that only a believer loves Ali (AS) and only a hypocrite hates him, concluding that Ali (AS) therefore does divide people between Paradise and Hellfire.- Historical accounts describe hostile reactions to these narrations, including a report that some who heard al-A'mash narrate the hadith of the roasted bird removed him from the mosque and washed the spot, and that Imam an-Nasa'i was violently attacked after he could find no merit to cite for Mu'awiyah.- This history of suppressed merits places a duty on believers to actively spread the merits of the Ahlul Bayt and to openly disavow their enemies through la'n.- Qays bin Musahhar as-Saydawi, Imam Husayn's (AS) last messenger to the Shi'a of Kufa, tore up and swallowed his letter when captured so Ibn Ziyad could not learn the names within it; given the choice between death or cursing Imam Husayn (AS) from the pulpit, he instead publicly praised Imam Husayn (AS) and cursed Ibn Ziyad, exemplifying the practice of la'n against the enemies of the Ahlul Bayt.Donate towards our programs today: https://jaffari.org/donate/Jaffari Community Centre (JCC Live)