Ali ibn Abi Talib

Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) is considered one of the most prominent advocates of humanistic values in Islam. Human values in his view transcended all other principles. He is famously known for his timeless saying: “People are of two kinds: either your brother in faith or your equal in humanity.”

Perhaps the greatest challenge in his human experience was his position regarding the issue of leadership (caliphate). Ali was certain that he was the rightful successor, a view shared by Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (may God be pleased with her) and a group of the most distinguished companions. However, allegiance was given for various reasons. When his supporters came to him urging him to draw the sword, as was known of his courage and valor, Ali (peace be upon him) refused to engage in any war. He chose diplomatic methods and limited himself to being a sincere adviser concerned for the welfare of the الأمة (Islamic community). He did not wish for blood to be shed in order to attain a position, even though it was the most significant position of all. He believed that human life was too noble to be sacrificed for any office.

When Abu Bakr chose to engage in the Ridda (apostasy) wars, Imam Ali (may God be pleased with him) objected and withdrew from them, considering them a form of internal conflict in which blood was being shed, when dialogue, persuasion, encouragement, and warning could have sufficed.

Throughout the Ridda wars, no strike of the sword is recorded from him, even though he was the “Lion of battles” and the hero of conquests.

Ali’s Human Legacy (Excerpt by Ahmad Yasin):

Speaking about Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) is—without dispute—speaking about one of the greatest human figures in history after the Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him), in every time and place. His personality is deeply rooted in humanity and nobility, encompassing rare and refined moral qualities marked by purity, clarity, and spiritual elevation. These virtues are matched by exceptional ethical traits that are unmatched in grandeur and dignity.

Therefore, narrating his biography is essentially narrating the story of the “Perfect Human,” as described by the scholar Martyr Murtadha Mutahhari, who said: “The Noble Prophet Muhammad himself is a model of the perfect human being, and Ali is another model of this human being.”

True knowledge of Ali, according to Mutahhari, is not merely knowing his name, lineage, or identity, but understanding his personality.

Islam came to create the ideal or perfect human being who serves as a model and example for others.

Since man is a combination of body and spirit, his humanity depends primarily on moral and spiritual values that give him worth and identity among his peers. These are what are called “human values.”

These values are many and varied: intellect, love, justice, service to people, worship, freedom, divine love, asceticism, self-sacrifice, jihad in the path of God, and others. To reach the highest level of human perfection, one must not cling to a single value while neglecting the rest.

The perfect human is one in whom all human values grow harmoniously and proportionately until they reach their highest level collectively, making him a leader and role model. This is precisely what Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) embodied.

From childhood, he was raised under the care of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who said: “You are my brother, my successor, my minister, and my caliph after me.” The Prophet raised him in his own household from the age of six, during a period of economic hardship faced by Abu Talib. Ali grew up under the direct guidance of the Prophet, following him closely and learning from him daily.

Ali himself said: “I followed him as a young camel follows its mother. Every day he revealed to me a new aspect of his noble character and ordered me to follow his example.”

Thus, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had a profound influence on shaping Ali’s personality until God commissioned Muhammad with the message of Islam. Ali was among the first to believe in the message, and he fully integrated himself into its teachings.

He accompanied the Prophet in worship and spiritual practice, and his faith became deeply rooted and certain. He was the first male to believe in the Prophet’s message. The Prophet said to him: “You are my brother, my successor, and my deputy after me.”

Ali also said: “The Prophet used to retreat every year to the cave of Hira, and I alone would see him. No one else saw him. At that time, only the Prophet, Khadijah, and I were in a single household. I saw the light of revelation and smelled the fragrance of prophecy.”

Ali’s spiritual qualities reached the highest level of humanity due to his upbringing under divine education. He was in complete harmony with the Qur’an and Islam, to the point where it was said: “Ali is the speaking Qur’an, and the Book of God is the silent Qur’an.”

All of his human qualities developed in balance and harmony. He was not merely an ascetic, nor merely a worshipper, nor merely a fighter, nor merely a lover of God, nor merely a rational thinker. Rather, all values existed within him in perfect equilibrium.

He reached absolute human perfection because no single value dominated at the expense of others. Justice in his personality was the balance and harmony of all qualities developing together without excess or deficiency.

As Martyr Mutahhari explains, justice is essentially balance and proportion. Ali ibn Abi Talib was the embodiment of divine justice in both knowledge and action, witnessed by both friend and foe.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Every certainty has a truth.” The truth of Ali’s certainty was that of one who saw his Lord with the eye of the heart and obeyed Him completely. He said: “If the veil were lifted, my certainty would not increase.”