He would be merciful to the indigent people...

He would be merciful to the indigent people, would sit with the poor and needy and help people in their needs. He would judge with truth and justice. In essence he was like the Prophet (N) in all respects except the station of prophethood to the extent that – as in the Qurv"nic verse 3:61 – Almighty Alla>h considers him to be the same ‘self’ as the Prophet (N).210 There is also the tradition of the ‘station’ (manzila).

This is the tradition that the Prophet (N) said to !Al: (a.s.): ‘Your station to me is as the station of Aaron to Moses, except that there will be no prophet after me.’ This tradition has been narrated by many scholars including Bukh"r:, Muslim, and many others.211 Ibn .ajar al-Haytham: relates212: ‘A9mad relates that a man asked Mu!"wiya about an issue.

He said: ‘Ask !Al: about it for he is more knowledgeable.’ The man said: ‘I would prefer your answer to that of !Al:.’ Mu!"wiya said: ‘What you say is foul, you have disdained a man that the Prophet honoured with knowledge and said to him: ‘Your station to me is as the station of Aaron to Moses, except that there will be no prophet after me’, and whenever !Umar [ibn al-Khat}t}a>b] found a problem he would refer to him.’ There is also the tradition of the ‘barring of the doors’.

This came about when the Prophet (N), at the command of Almighty Alla>h, barred all the doors of the houses which led on to the mosque at Medina except the door of the house of !Al: (a.s.). A collection of scholars have related this including al-."kim in the mustradak213.

It was such that !Umar [ibn al-Khattab used to say: ‘!Al: ibn Ab: ھ"lib has been given three things any one of which would be more dear to me than red camels: his wife F"Uima daughter of the Messenger of Alla>h, his dwelling in the mosque so that what is lawful for the Messenger of Allah is lawful for him too, and the banner on the day of the battle of Khaybar.’214 There is also a consensus of Qurv"nic exegetes215 that the verse eIndeed your patron is Alla>h and His messenger and those who believe; those who establish prayer and give alms while they bow down in prayer g And whoever takes Allah and His messenger and those who believe as his allies .

. . for indeed the party of Allah are the triumphant onesf216 Many books have been written by Sunni scholars about the virtues of !Al: (a.s.) including al-man"qib of al-Kh"razm: al-.anaf:, and yan"b:! al-mawadda of al-QandYz: al-.anaf:, and others.