One of Ali Reza-Zada’s unique features is his ability to deliver ‘speechs’. This feature can be less found in other young memorizers. Ali’s reasonable and convincing speeches have created an ‘unforgettable character’ of him inside and outside the country.
By his remarkable ability, this blossom can bring evidences from the glorious verses of the Qur’an and the Prophet tradition according to the subject of his speeches, and what evidences are stronger than these! He delivers his speeches to huge crowds with a simple language and remarkable self-confidence as if he is talking to his close fellows!
Ali’s comprehensive knowledge of verses, prophetic tradition and Nahj al-Balagha surprise his audience, and when he recites a verse from the Holy Qur’an or a phrase from Nahj al-Balagha with pure Arabic he makes his audience shed tears, and as his words come out of his heart they come in and settle in the hearts.
This unique feature was reflected through Ali’s educating programs in channel ‘two’ and ‘four’ of the Islamic Republic TV with more than one hundred programs, and all that was the fruit of memorizing the Holy Qur’an, prophetic tradition, Nahj al-Balagha, etc.; a memorization that changed to be a knowledge followed by understanding and contemplation, as Imam Ali (as) says in sermon 189 of Nahj al-Balagha, ‘Qur’an is knowledge for that who comprehend.’
Ali has beautiful domestic and abroad speeches and sermons, of which we present here the following three samples.
The High Position of Al-Zahra (s)
Ali’s sermon at the holy shrine of Ruqaya (Syria, 2001)
In the mane of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate, and God’s Blessings be upon Muhammad and his pure household.
The All-Wise has said in His glorious book:
“إنما يريد الله ليذهب عنكم الرجس أهل البيت ويطهركم تطهيراً”
“And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye Members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless”.
As you know, these days and nights resemble the martyrdom anniversary of the lady of the ladies, the grand mother of both worlds (the present and next), Her Holiness Fatima al-Zahra (peace be upon here).
Speaking about Fatima’s personality and significance is, in fact, speaking about woman’s position and abilities in Islam and Qur’an, and al-Zahra’s glorious life alone can reflect that woman can reach high positions too. Fatima’s politeness and obedience to her father and husband, the respect and unique love her father had toward her, the way of upbringing her children and all her moral and worshiping features are lessons and teachings for Muslims.
Fatima (peace be upon her) is the best example for women, and it is good for women to follow this ‘chosen’ lady in order to pass the stations of development. Lady Fatima whom God has referred to as ‘Kawthar’ (Abundance) in the Holy Qur’an, and whom the Prophet granted the land of ‘Fadk’ according to the verse, “وآت ذا القربى حقه” “And render to the kindred their due rights” (12), and after descending ‘The Verse of Purification’ the Prophet was standing beside her house and loudly saying:
السلام عليكم يا أهل البيت ورحمة الله وبركاته
Oh the household, peace and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you. And after greeting them he was reciting this verse:
“إنما يريد الله ليذهب عنكم الرجس أهل البيت ويطهركم تطهيراً”.
“And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye Members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless” (13)
Fatima was one of those who accompanied the Prophet in the ‘Mubahala’ (mutual cursing) with the Christians of ‘Najran’. Besides, the following verses were revealed to reflect the position of Fatima, her husband and her sons:
“ويطعمون الطعام على حبه مسكيناً ويتيماً وأسيراً * إنما نطعمكم لوجه الله لا نريد منكم جزاءً ولا شكوراً”
“And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive * (Saying), We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.” (14)
The Prophet (sw) was kissing her hand, seating her in his place, calling her ‘The Mother of her Father’ and was saying, ‘You are the lady of the women of the world.’
Surely Fatima (peace be upon her) was an extract of the Prophet’s existence; the father whom God has introduced as having ‘great morality’ and the Qur’an confirms that he does not talk out of his desires and whishes:
“وما ينطق عن الهوى * إن هو إلا وحي يوحى”
“Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire * It is no less than inspiration sent down to him.” (15)
Any thing the Prophet says is from God.
Surely Fatima was with Islam and Qur’an, and was living in the surroundings of revelation and prophecy. Her life was not separated from the Prophet’s life even after marriage, as her house was connected to the Prophet’s house, and the Prophet was visiting her more than anyone else.
The Prophet’s servant says that any time the Prophet wanted to travel, Fatima was the last one to see and say goodbye to, and on his coming back she was the first to visit. In the early five years of her childhood, Fatima grow between the arms of an honored and sacrificing mother like Khadeeja; a mother that was the firs woman is Islam and whom the Prophet said about, ‘Khadeeja is one of the best women of this nation.’ Both Shiites and Sunnis have reported that the Prophet’s wife Aaisha said, “When the Prophet remembers Khadeeja he well praises her, so once I said to him, ‘What makes you remember her while God has given you better than her!’
Bothered by these words the Prophet said, ‘God has not given me better than her. She believed me when people accused me of lying, helped me by her wealth when people deprived me of that, and God gave me children from her and did not give me from others.’
Certainly Fatima is the memorandum of that mother and the daughter of such father. The heavenly character of Fatima, the lady of the ladies (peace be upon her), is higher than what we can imagine; a lady that having love and devotion to her and her family is a religious duty. She is a lady whose anger is considered as God’s anger.
This claim is based on a lot of Prophetic tradition reported in Shiite and Sunni reliable books.
There is widely transmitted tradition telling that Imam Ali, al-Zahra, Imam Hasan, Imam Husayn (as) and their servant vowed once to have a three-day fasting. On the fist night, a poor man knocked the door and asked help. Imam Ali (as) gave him his food, so the others followed him and gave their food too, and all were satisfied with water for their fasting that night. On the second night an orphan knocked the door and they gave him their food too. On the third night, a prisoner of war came and they did the same. So they gave their fasting food in these three days to the poor, the orphan and the prisoner. Hereupon, Al-Insan Chapter was descended with the following verse:
“ويطعمون الطعام على حبه مسكيناً ويتيماً وأسيراً”
“And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive.” (16)
This verse is referring to their spending and selflessness for the sake of God.
Besides, all Shiite and Sunni tradition reporters declared that Fatima (as) was of one of the five people who were with the Prophet in the Mubahala (mutual cursing) with the Christians of Najran. Although this matter is considered a big merit for Fatima, but it is also one of the best proofs that the Prophet’s infallible household are Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn (as), and other Prophet’s relatives and wives do not share them this feature. Let me briefly tell you here the story of the Mubahala:
A group of the Christians of Najran came to the Prophet (sw) and talked with him about Jesus (as). The Prophet responded to them by reciting verse 59 of Aal-e-Imran Chapter:
“إن مثل عيسى عند الله كمثل آدم خلقه من تراب”
“The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust.”
That means, before God, the case of Jesus who was created without father is similar to the case of Adam who was created from soil without parents.
But this response did not satisfy the Christians. Thus, the verse of Mubahala (mutual cursing) was descended to the Prophet and God gave this order:
“فمن حاجك فيه من بعد ما جاءك من العلم فقل تعالوا ندع أبناءنا وأبناءكم ونساءنا ونساءكم وأنفسنا وأنفسكم ثم نبتهل فنجعل لعنة الله على الكاذبين”.
“If anyone disputes in this matter with thee, now after (full) knowledge hath come to thee, say: “Come! let us gather together – our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves – then let us earnestly pray, and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie!” (17)
When the Christians left they talked with each other saying, ‘If Muhammad comes tomorrow with his sons and household we should not have cursing with him, but if he comes with his companions we are going to have cursing with him.’ That means both sides ask God to descend his curse and punishment upon the false side. All Qur’an interpretations and reliable Shiite and Sunni books report that on the following day the Prophet came for Mubahala with Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them) and sat down on the ground and asked his household to say ‘amen’ after his prayer. The Christians feared what they have seen and admitted that the Prophet’s behavior is similar to other prophets, and they asked him to give up cursing and make a settlement with them. So they paid an amount of money as barter and left back.
In spite of that, after the Prophet’s demise, his household suffered many troubles and harms, and it was unbearable for al-Zahra (as) to continue her life. That was because of the Prophet’s demise on one hand and the disgraceful behavior of some of the Prophet’s companions toward Ali and al-Zahra (as) on the other hand, in addition to other problems. Thus we read in history:
After the Prophet, al-Zahra was always crying and miserable. Her weeping was endless to such extent that some of the people in Medina came to Ali (as) and said, ‘Tell Fatima to cry on daytime and stop at night or cry at night and stop on daytime!’
At last, shocks and troubles this honored lady faced after the Prophet’s demise made her sick, and she was martyred because of these harms.
We pray to God not to deprive us, in this world, of the consideration of this lady, the lady of the present and hereafter world, and not to dispossess us of the intercession of this high positioned intercessor, and grant all Muslims an ability to preserve Islamic values and unity. We pray to God to support more and more the persons in charge of the Islamic administration, specifically the revolution leader, and grant you all good and happiness.
Peace and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.
The High Position of Ameer Al-Mumineen Ali ibn-abi-Talib (as)
Ali’s speech at Imam Ali’s conference, Mazindaran, 2000
In the mane of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Praise be to God and God’s blessings be upon Muhammad and his pure household.
[Persian poet says:]
The door to the treasure of the invisible is Ali
The entire world is a ship and its Noah is Ali.
The soul blows life into the universal body
Is the soul of Ali.
It is not easy to talk about the life of the second person in Islam in the conference of Imam Ali (as) and among you, lovers of the Prophet’s household, because the great and broad personality of ameer al-mumineen (as) is larger and more varied than a person can deal with all its aspects.
[Persian poet says:]
If God wills, once, to decorate the universe
He’ll ask you: show your self and decorate the universe.
Who can fairly claim that he knows where to start and what aspect of this personality he should deal with in order to reflect a real face of this grand leader of humanity and talk about him sufficiently, but:
If you are unable to drink the water of the sea
You should have an amount for being thirsty.
The poet says:
We are doing our duty toward your position without any claim
Sorry, as your real praise is the Qur’an saying, ‘Hal ata.’
Surely no body has realized the essence of Imam Ali other than His Almighty God and the Holy Prophet (sw). Ali has reached a degree of belief and faith, purity and sincerity, God-fearing and piety, knowledge and awareness, nobility and courage, mercy and sympathy, justice and equity and other divine and human values that it is not easy to understand the dimensions of his personality.
Who is higher than a person introduced by a materialistic individual after fourteen centuries this way: ‘Imam Ali ibn-abi-Talib is the great of the greatest, a unique copy that neither East nor West have seen an exact copy of it neither in the past nor in the present.’
George Jurdaq, the Christian writer, wrote in his book ‘al-imam Ali sawt al-adala al-insania’ (Imam Ali, the Voice of Human Justice), ‘Oh world! What might be happened if you mobilize your strength to deliver one ‘Ali’ with his mind, heart, tongue and sword in every age.’
Also ibn-abil-Hadeed, the known Sunni scholar, says in his commentary on Nahj al-Balagha, ‘What can I say about a man to whom belongs every virtue, ends every group, and every party pulls him back and forth, since he is the head and the fountain spring of all virtues.’ Al-Shafei, the Sunni imam, wrote about the virtue of Imam Ali saying, ‘If Ali had shown himself the way it really was, people of the world would have kneeled for him.’
Another known Sunni scholar, al-Khateeb al-Khwarizmi, the famous Hanafite writer, wrote, ‘Is there any more generosity of spirit like Ali? Ali is who was crying on worshiping at night and gladly penetrating the dust of battleground at daytime. He is who put his foot on the Prophet’s shoulder and broke the idols.’
Oh yes [the poet says]:
The forest of God’s creatures, just one lion had
Against the enemies of Al-Mustafa a sword he had.
Mother of universe has not delivered someone like Ali
It looks like there was just this one arrow in the quiver of the sky.
What can we say about somebody whom the Prophet has said about, ‘If people were gathered around the love of Ali ibn-abi-Talib, God would not have created Hell.’ (18)
What higher than the Qur’anic praise of Ali, which both Shiites and Sunnis accept. The Almighty God says:
“إنما وليكم الله ورسوله والذين آمنوا الذين يقيمون الصلاة ويؤتون الزكاة وهم راكعون”
“Your (real) friends are (no less than) Allah, His Messenger, and the (Fellowship of) Believers, those who establish regular prayers and regular charity, and they bow down humbly (in worship).”
Another verse concerning Ali and the Prophet’s household positions is ‘The Verse of Purification’:
“إنما يريد الله ليذهب عنكم الرجس أهل البيت ويطهركم تطهيراً”
“And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye Members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless”
In addition, the verses of mubahala (mutual cursing), tableegh (message-deliverance), ulul-amr (authorities), the verse of khayrul-bareya (the best of creatures), Al-Insan chapter, the verse of itaam (feeding), al-Ghadeer occasion, the verse of ikmalud-deen (religion completion), and also the verses of wizara (ministry), salehul-mumineen (the good believers), mawadda (friendship) and tens of other Qur’anic verses are all reflecting the virtue of the Prophet’s household, specifically Imam Ali (as).
It is fine here, in this glorious gathering, to hear few phrases about Imam Ali’s virtue from him. In sermon number 235 of Nahj al-Balagha (of Faidul-Islam), Imam Ali says:
“You have known my place before the Prophet, God bless him and his household, by the close relativity and the special position. He looked after me when I was young, holding me in his arms, keeping me in his bed, touching me with his body and letting me smell his fragrance. He was chewing food and feeding me. He had never found a lie in my speech or a fault in my act. God had associated His greatest angels with him since his early infancy, showing him, day and night, the path of nobilities and the best moral principles of the world. And I was following him as the young (weaned) camel follows his mother, while he was indicating clear signs of his morality for me every day, and asking me to imitate him. He was staying in Hera every year where I was seeing him and nobody was doing that except me. There was no household in Islam, then, other than the Prophet, God bless him and his household, Khadeeja and me the third of them. I was seeing the light of the revelation and the message, and feeling the smell of the prophecy.”
Ibn-abil-Hadeed, the known Sunni scholar, says, ‘There are sound traditions telling that when Gabriel came down first time to the Prophet Ali was with him, and that was in a month in which the Prophet had gone to the mountain of Hera for worshiping.’
Imam Ali says, “I heard the ring of Satan when the revelation was descended to him, God bless him and his household, so I said, ‘what is that ring, Messenger of God?’ He said, ‘That is Satan despaired of being worshiped, you see what I see and you her what I hear, but you are not a prophet, you are a helper and supporter”.
Excluding the divine care and support, which have their own effects, absolutely Imam Ali had distinguished natural factors that no man, except him, has had; that means in his family, heredity, environment, upbringing and association with the Prophet. Ali (as) had a father like ‘The Believer of Quraish’, Abu-Taib, who is without his effort and resistance in supporting his nephew and his generous sacrifices for the sake of the Islamic message, the Prophet certainly would have suffered more than he did. Also Ali had a mother like Fatima bint Asad, one of the pioneer believers from women. Further more Ali’s upbringing by an educator like ‘The Chosen Muhammad’ and ‘The Seal of the Prophets’ (sw). Surly Ali (as) grew in an environment from which he learned all the divine knowledge and excellent human morality directly from the Prophet (sw), and he was following him in both saying and acting.
[Persian poet says]:
Oh father of time, you need a lot of patience
To have a child like you from the mother of universe.
Enemies and friends have acknowledged that Ali (as) collected all the high human values and reached a degree of knowledge and wisdom that the Prophet has a known saying concerning him which has been reported by all Shiites and Sunnis traditionalists:
“I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its door, so whoever wants knowledge has to get it from Ali.”
How wonderful the poet who says:
Seawater is not enough for the book of your virtues
So as to moisten my finger and count your pages.
Oh Lord! Increase Ali’s love in my heart
Save his name, clean up anything on the board of my heart.
Please forgive us by the grace of Ali and his household
Any heart with out it, fill it with blood.
The Virtue of Qur’an and an Introduction to Nahj al-Balagha
Opening address of Qur’an and Nahj al-Balagha institute (Qom, 2002)
In the mane of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Praise be to God and His blessings be upon Muhammad and his pure household.
First I congratulate you on the birthday of Imam Hasan al-Askari (as), and pray to Almighty God for the students of Qur’an to succeed in following the teachings of Qur’an and the Prophet’s household.
In the opening celebration of the ‘Qur’an and Nahj al-Balagha institute’ and among brothers and sisters and Qur’an professors, it is nice to have a glance, for few minuets, to the vital knowledge of Qur’an and Imam Ali’s Nahj al-Balagha. First of all, I do apologize to all the attendants in this meeting, especially to scholars and Qur’an professors, for the time I am taking from them.
As you know, Qur’an is the words of God and the everlasting miracle of our Prophet Muhammad (sw). This holy book consist of one hundred and fourteen chapters, six thousands and two hundred and thirty six verses, and thirty parts. Absolutely we have a duty toward this great book. First of our duties is trying to learn and correctly read Qur’an, then understanding and comprehending the Qur’nic concepts, then, if it is possible, Memorizing the glorious verses of the Qur’an, and at last acting in accordance with the teachings of this heavenly book, which is the yardstick and the standards of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ in our thought, act and behavior.
The Holy Prophet (sw) says:
“If you want the happy-people’s life, the martyrs’ death, the salvation on the day of regret and the guidance on the day of deviation, then learn the Qur’an, as it is the words of The Merciful, a refuge from Satan and an overbalance in your deed.”
On the other hand, concerning the importance of interpreting Qur’an, the Prophet says:
“Who learns the Qur’an by heart, memorizes it, considers its permissible and forbidden laws, God will bring him in Paradise because of it (Qur’an) and let him mediate for ten of him household, all of them deserve Hell.” (19)
And God’s mercy be upon Imam Khomeni as he said, ‘The Holy Qur’an is a table that The Almighty God has placed it by the Holy Prophet among human beings, and everybody should befit out of it as much as he could.”
Of course Qur’an’s effects on youth is extremely more that its effects on other people. Imam Sadiq says, ‘When a young believer reads Qur’an, it will be mixed with his flesh and blood.’
Describing Qur’an in Nahj al-Balagha, Imam Ali (as) says, ‘Learn the Qur’an as it is the best speeches, comprehend it as it is the springtime of hearts, seek cure through its light as it the curing remedy of the chests and well recite it as is the best stories.’
In another place, Imam Ali (as) says, ‘Qur’an has the knowledge of the future, the story of the past, the cure of your malady and the order of what is among you.’
But since Qur’an is the word of God and not an ordinary book, and all human beings are not able to comprehend the entire Qur’anic knowledge, the tradition reported from the Prophet can open doors toward Muslims to understand the Holy Qur’an. Therefore the best criterion for a correct understanding of the Holy Qur’an is the tradition of the Prophet and the infallible Imam, peace be upon them all, as the Holy Prophet himself suggested that many times. In the last days of his glorious life, the Holy Prophet said, ‘I have left two valuable things among you: the book of God and my household; as long as you follow them, you will never go astray, and they will never come apart until they both get to me in the pond of Paradise.’
Therefore we give a high consideration to Hadith and Nahj al-Balagha along with Qur’an.
Nahj al-Balagha was compiled by the pious scholar al-Sayyid al-Radhi (God’s mercy be upon him) more than a thousand years ago. Of course Nahj al-Balagha does not contain all Imam Ali’s sayings, rather al-sayyid al-Radhi (God’s mercy be upon him) has selected pieces from ameer al-mumineen’s wonderful and delightful words that have unique language purity and literary style, and called that Nahj al-Balagha, which means the pathway of eloquence. Nahj al-Balagha has three parts: the sermons, letters and maxims. Grand Shiite and Sunni scholars acknowledge that Nahj al-Balagha, after the Qur’an and the prophetic tradition, is the best Islamic books and known as the brother of the Qur’an. After the Prophet, Imam Ali was the foremost in dealing with the Holy Qur’an that the Prophet said, ‘Ali is with the Qur’an and the Qur’an is with Ali.’
Shaykh Muhammad Abdu, the previous mufti and president of Al-Azhar university in Egypt and an eminent Sunni religious scholars, stated in his commentary on Nahj al-Balagha, ‘I have known Nahj al-Balagha by accident and not on purpose’, and said, ‘How much we should feel regret for leaving such book behind, being unaware of its importance, preventing ourselves from its useful knowledge and completely forgetting it.’
That is right, it seems that Nahj al-Balagha is a book that God has decorated its phrases with jewels from the verses of His Qur’an. Nahj al-Balagha is the mirror of the Quram, and seems to be quoted from the Holy book. Imam Ali himself says, ‘The stream is flowed down from me and the flying birds can not reach me.’
We hope, by the will of God, that all of us shall have a good life-end by the grace of the Qur’an and Hadith and by following the teachings of the Qur’an and the Prophet’s household, peace be upon them, and that our hearts be enlightened by the Qur’an and Nahj al-Balagha, and have a happy life in this world and the hereafter through acting according to Qur’an and Haith.
At last my best wishes to the brothers and sisters who have registered in Qur’an and Nahj al-Balagha Institute and, by the will of God, are going to hardly work on memorization, translation and comprehension of the Qur’an and Nahj al-Balagha.
Peace, God’s mercy and His blessings be upon you.
——————————
(12) Al-Isra chapter, verse 26
(13) Al-Ahzab chapter, verse 33
(14) Al-Insan chapter, verses 8 and 9
(15) An-Najm chapter, verses 3 and 4
(16) Al-Insan chapter, verse 8
(17) Aal-e-Imran, verse 61
(18) Bihar al-anwar, vol. 39, p. 205
(19) Bihar al-anwar, vol. 92