10 April 2011

The Description of Ali ibn Abu Talib

Diraar bin Damirah Kinaani رحمه لله once came to Mu'aawiya رضى لله عنه , who asked him to describe Ali رضي الله عنه, Diraar bin Damirah Kinaani رحمه لله said, "Would you excuse me?" Mu'aawiya رضي الله عنه replied, "You cannot be excused." Diraar bin Damirah Kinaani continued,

"If I have to say something, then I swear by Allaah that Ali رضي الله عنه was a man of high objectives (with immense honour).

He was a man of tremendous strength who always spoke decisively and passed judgement with utmost justice. Knowledge seemed to burst forth from his every limb (people learned something from his every word, action and even when he did nothing) and wisdom spoke through him from every angle. He kept aloof from the world and its attraction, taking comfort from the night and its darkness."

By Allaah, Ali رضي الله عنه shed many tears and remained in deep thought for long periods. He would often turn his hands over and address himself. He liked simple clothing and coarse (unrefined) food. By Allaah He was just like one of us and when we met with him, he would make us sit close to him and ensured that he answered our every question. Despite him being close to us and us being close to him, we were too overawed to speak to him. When he smiled, his teeth appeared to be a string of pearls.

He showed enormous respect towards men learned in the matters of Deen and he showed great love towards the poor. In front of him, a powerful person never expected to succeed in his false claims and a weak person never lost hope in his justice."

"Allaah is Witness to the night when I once saw him sitting in his Mihraab when the night had already drawn its curtains and the stars had vanished. He was holding his beard and bending over, displaying the distress of a person bitten by a scorpion. He wept like a bitterly grieved person and I can still hear his cries echoing in my ears as he repeated the words, 'Yaa Rabbanaa! Yaa Rabbanaa! (Oh our Rabb! Oh our Rabb!)' In this way, he humbled himself before Allaah .

He then address the world saying, '0 world! Are you trying to deceive me? Are you staring expectantly at me? Get away! Get away and use your charms on someone else because I have divorced you thrice. Your life is short, your company is demeaning and people easily get into trouble because of you. Oh dear! Oh dear! The provision (for the journey to the Aakhirah) is meagre, the journey is long and the road is frightening."'

(Upon hearing this,) Tears flowed uncontrollably from the eyes of Mu'aawiya رضي الله عنه onto his beard and he began wiping them away with his sleeve. The people present were also choked with their weeping. Mu'aawiya then said, "That was indeed an accurate description of Abul Hasan ( Ali رضي الله عنه ).

May Allaah have mercy on him. 0 Diraar, what was your reaction to his death?" Diraar bin Damirah Kinaani رحمه لله replied, "I felt the anguish of a woman whose only child is slaughtered in her lap, whose tears neither stop nor does her grief diminish." After saying this, Diraar bin Damirah Kinaani رحمه لله stood up and left.

Source: Hayatu Sahaba ( Quoted from ' Abu Nu'aym (Vol.1 Pg.84). In his book isti'aab (Vo1.3 Pg.44), Ibn Abdil Barr has also reported this narration from Hirmaazi who hailed from Hamdaan and who reported the same from Diraar Sadaa'i.)

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