The Attraction and Repulsion of Ali (a.s.)

Another Instance:

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As we know, the tale of Ohod has a tragic aspect. Seventy Muslims, including Hazrat Hamza, the uncle of the Prophet, were martyred. To start with the Muslims had won the battle. Subsequently, due to indiscipline of a battalion who were posted at a hillock, the Muslims were subjected to a surprise attack. Many were martyred, some scattered away. A small group got distant from the Prophet. Ultimately the same small group once again rallied the forces and halted the further enemy advance. The rumour that Prophet was martyred mainly contributed to the Muslim's scattering away. But instantly they realised that the Prophet was alive, they regained their morale. A number of the injured had fallen to the ground. They were absolutely indifferent to their end. One of the injured was Sa'd bin Rabi'. He sustained twelve grievous injuries. In the meantime, when he lay injured, one of the deserters came to Sa'd and said, "Have you heard that the Prophet has been killed?" Sa'd said, "If Muhammad has been killed, may be.But Muhammad's God has not been killed. Faith of Muhammad survives, why are you evasive to defend your faith?"

On his side, the Prophet collected his companions. Called out each of his companions to see who was alive and who was dead? He did not find Sa'd bin Rabi'. He said, "Who is there to go and fetch me exact information about Sa'd bin Rabi'? One of the Ansarites said, "I offer myself. When the Ansarite reached Sa'd, he had some symptoms of life left in him. He said, "Oh Sa'd! I have been sent by the Prophet to collect information about your life or otherwise". Sa'd said, 'Say he is from amongst the dead, because no more moments of life are left to him'. Tell the Prophet that Sa'd has said, 'God may bless you with the best of the Prophet's rewards". In the same behest he said to the Ansarites and all other companions of the Prophet, "God will accept no excuse from you if your Prophet is harmed while you are alive".

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The pages of early Islamic history are rich in such dedications, devotions and graceful events. In whole of the history, we cannot find any one else to have been so profoundly loved and endeared by his friends, his contemporaries, his wives and his children, from the depth of their hearts, as the Holy Prophet has been.

In his commentary on 'Nehj-ul-Balagha" Ibn Abi Hadeed says: "None who had heard him (The Prophet) could avoid love and attraction rising in his heart for him. In Mecca the Qureish called the Muslims, "devoted and dedicated", and would say, "Our apprehension is lest Walid bin Mugheera accepts Mohammed's faith, and if Walid, who is crown flower of Qureish, ever does so the whole of the Qureish would follow his suit". They used to say, "His words are magic and they intoxicate deeper than liquor does. They would forbid their children to join his sittings lest he attracted them with his words and inspiring personality. Whenever the Prophet would sit along the Ka'ba in Hajar-i-Ismail and recite the Quran or beseech God, they would put their fingers in their ears lest they were bewitched by his words and got attracted to him.

They would wrap their heads and veil their faces to avoid being attracted by his captivating demeanour. Thus many people embraced Islam only on hearing his discourse, or on seeing his mien, or on having a glimpse of his, or by tasting his luscious diction.

Of all the historic facts about him, one that astonishes most a critic, a humanist or a sociologist, is the revolution, which Islam brought in the ignorant Arabia. In ordinary course, if such a society is sought to be reformed by popularising education and by adopting customary instructive measures, it would require long time to elapse, so that the old generation which was vice-addicted has worn away and a new generation has been founded. But we should not ignore the influence of attraction. As we have said like flames of fire, which burn the roots, it would burn the evils to ashes.

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Majority of Prophet's companions extremely loved him and it was by carriage of love that they travelled this long distance in such a short period and revolutionalised their society so briskly:

Our wings and feathers are lasso of his love,

It drags (us) by our forelock to beloved's street;

Why should I enlighten my whereabouts,

When my beloved's light never fails,

His light is to the right and to the left above and below

On my head like crown and round my neck like a collar.