In the Name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate --

Salaam everybody, and accept our heartfelt condolences on a day whose tragedy continues to draw tears from our eyes. 21st of Ramadhan is the day when the model government of justice came to its end, with the heartrending martyrdom of the Commander of the Faithful and the Leader of the Pious, Imam Ali ibn Taleb (PBUH), the First Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny).

“There has died tonight a man who was the first among the early (Muslims) in (good) actions. Nor did any later (Muslims) attain his level in (good) actions. He used to fight alongside the Prophet of God (SAWA) and protect him with his own life. The Prophet of God, may God bless him and his family, used to send him forward with his standard while (the archangel) Gabriel supported him on his right and (the other prominent angel) Michael supported him on his left. He would not return until God brought victory through his hands. He, peace be on him, has died on this night on which (Prophet) Jesus, son of Mary, was taken up (to heaven), on which Joshua, son of Noon, the testamentary legatee of (Prophet) Moses, peace be on him, died. He has left behind him no gold or silver except seven hundred dirhams of his stipend, with which he was intending to procure a servant for his family.”

With tears rolling down his eyes this is how a bereaved son and successor broke the news to the anxious masses of the passing away of his father at dawn this day on the 21st of Ramadhan, 40 AH, in the city of Kufa, in what is now Iraq. The words of Imam Hasan (PBUH), although brief, could be considered an excellent tribute to his father, Imam Ali (PBUH), the person who transcends history and historical developments despite the passing of a millennium and almost four lunar centuries since his tragic martyrdom after being struck a fatal blow on the head two days earlier while engrossed in the morning prayer in the Grand Mosque of Kufa.

"By the Lord of the Ka’ba I have succeeded", was the immortal phrase that the only person ever to be born in the holiest of the holies, that symbolic House of the Unseen but Omnipresent Creator in Mecca, towards which Muslims throughout the globe bow, expressed as blood spouting from his pierced scalp dyed red his face and beard. There was no remorse, no regret, no revenge and no reviling of the fact that his life was about to end abruptly. This is how the cousin, ward, son-in-law and the divinely-decreed vicegerent of the Almighty’s Last and Greatest Messenger to mankind, braced for entry into the realm of afterlife. At this critical moment also he glowed with the same firmness of faith and certitude with which he had testified as a 9-year old boy to the divine mission of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) – a testimony, which has since become an article of faith for every Muslim, whenever a person recites ash-hado anna Muhammadan Rasoul-Allah, which means "I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."

Imam Ali (PBUH) was about to die, yet he was as calm and confident of the path ahead as he was on the day he volunteered to sleep on the Prophet’s bed that fateful night of the Hijrah when assassins hovered around the abode of divine revelation and it was vital for his cousin to migrate undetected towards Medina.

He was sure of eternal bliss in the Celestial Court with the same selfless humility he had displayed throughout the great gift of a 63-year life that God had granted him, and at each single moment of which he strove sincerely on the straight and unwavering way of communion with the Creator. Whether it was in the niche of prayer where he would shiver and turn almost stiff as a lifeless body on the thought of entering the hallowed presence of God Almighty, or whether it was on the battlefield where during a life-and-death struggle he once allowed his fallen adversary to stand up and renew the combat since he did not want his personal feelings to interfere with jihad in the way of God, in view of the fact that the opponent had spat on him – an action that normally gives rise to anger and emotions.

Imam Ali (PBUH) was and remains peerless, because at each and every moment of his fruitful life, he set precedents for the faithful to follow. Whether it was the fulfilling of a vow when for three consecutive days he, his wife, two young sons and a maid kept fasts but gave away whatever food they had to needy persons that happened to knock at their door at the time of breaking the fast, or whether it was his snuffing of the lamp that was burning with state money when some persons called upon him to discuss personal matters during his model administration of social justice the world has not yet seen for a second time.

Volumes are required to recount his virtues that are certainly beyond the ken of fallible minds who, according to divine decrees need to pass the test of belief in his wilayah or God-given authority if they hope for salvation in afterlife. This is confirmed, among others, from a narration by Abu Bakr the first caliph, who confessed that he heard the Prophet say that on the Day of Judgement only those having the permit from Imam Ali (AS) would be allowed to pass the siraat or the sharper-than-a- razor’s-edge-bridge to paradise that traverses the rim of the blazing fires of hell. Thus it is suicidal and self-destructive to usurp the rights of Imam Ali (AS) or to innovate unprincipled ways of administering human societies when he has shown the ultimate ideals.

The Muslims are still in a state of bewilderment because of their failure to heed the words of the person regarding whom the Prophet had said: "I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is its Gateway."

In other words, in order to properly understand the sunnah (practice), seerah (behaviour) and the genuine message of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), we have no other choice but to approach him through the proper channel, that is, through Imam Ali (AS), regarding whose pivotal position in Islam, the Prophet had also said: "If there was no Ali, it would have been impossible to identify true believers after me."

Imam Ali (PBUH) not just reflected the spotless personality of his cousin Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), but was also a mirror for the pure and pious life led by the prophets of the past like Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus (peace upon them). The commemoration of his martyrdom ought to awaken the conscience of all mankind throughout the world. No wonder, the Imam had said that if he were to judge the followers of other creeds he would do so according to their own scriptures such as the Torah, the Evangel and the Psalms, in such a fair manner that the followers of Moses, Jesus and David, will testify that there is no one impartial than Imam Ali (AS), Thus, there are immortal lessons to be learnt from his discourses and all aspects of his life.

To be brief, the martyrdom of this Great Soul ended the only instance of the rule of social justice. We await the reappearance of his direct descendant, the Promised Mahdi (AS), who will establish the global government of justice and equity after ending corruption and all distorted forms of governments and nation-states that have worsened the plight of humanity.

We once again offer our condolences, and here we present to you an interesting piece of poetry composed by Iran's English language poet, Dr. Hasan Najafi, which appeared in the English daily Kayhan International:

Death fears to near a hero,

It approaches hid in a sword’s echo.

Brave, courageous, warrior of Islam

Enters into martyrdom in peace and calm,

He was born in the Ka'ba – the Sacred Mosque

And courted martyrdom in Kufa's Holy Mosque,

His birth – a worship,

His death – a worship,

In between his whole life – a worship,

Hence, the Prophet said: “To look at Ali is worship.”

He is the embodiment of every virtue:

The Prophet through the course of Islam did pursue,

The heaven through him becomes due,

He is immortal and in every age he is anew,

Islam remains ever indebted to Ali

He on earth sees heaven

Carries his friends to skies seven,

Cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet

In Ghadeer by God's Order made successor of Prophet.

But conspirators of sordid Saqifa rejected the Prophet

Their act tantamount to disobedience of God

Were they really Muslims? Really odd!

Ali is a pointer in the fulcrum of Islam's scale

That determines true believers and those who fail,

Better to know him as long as we are alive

After death contrition to us into regret will drive.

What! Be a Muslim and hate the Prophet!!!

Ali is not a simple matter in any aspect.

Think, Ponder, Ruminate

You have time, you are not too late.