All the historians and reporters of traditions are unanimous...

All the historians and reporters of traditions are unanimous that in defending Islam in the wars of *Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, Khaybar, Hunain…*etc., during the Prophet’s life, Imam Ali (a.s.) was the acknowledged champion of the battlefield.

In the battle of Khaybar, for three days, Abu Bakr and Umar failed to capture the fort.[^11] The Prophet (S), while bestowing the command upon Ali (a.s.), gave him the title of ‘ karrarun ghairo farrar ’; one who repeatedly attacks fearlessly and does not run away from the battlefield. In the battle of Uhud, the greed of the companions for booty almost brought defeat to the Muslims. By the attacks of the infidels, the Prophet (S) was seriously injured and one of his teeth was broken.

Assuming that the Prophet (S) was killed, most companions ran away from the battlefield. Only when Imam Ali (a.s.) shouted that the Prophet (S) was alive and he called out to them, did the companions return. In fact, some companions had fled so far away that they returned several days after the battle. Similarly, in the battle of Hunain when the infidels showered their arrows, the companions fled, leaving the Prophet (S) almost unattended.

Imam Ali (a.s.) and the Prophet’s uncle Abbas were left to defend the Holy Prophet (S).[^12] The Prophet (S) had declared that Ali (a.s.) was the fountainhead of all knowledge and wisdom. The Prophet (S) had declared that Ali (a.s.) is the best jurist among them. The valor, wisdom, and eminence of Ali (a.s.) were not only well known but also frequently acknowledged even by his derogators.

Despite the abundance of evidence of Imam Ali’s nomination by the Prophet (S) as his immediate successor and the universally acknowledged merits of him, history shows that he did not succeed the Prophet (S) for about thirty years, till the fourth stage of the Caliphate , that too, when the Caliphate was literally thrust upon Imam Ali (a.s.) by popular choice and public accord.

Amir Ali writes, “ Thus, by one of the strangest freaks of fortune ever recorded in history, did the persecutors of Muhammad usurp the inheritance of his children, and the champions of idolatry became the supreme heads of his religion and empire .”[^13] How this could ever happen is a matter for serious scrutiny. A keen and unbiased student of the history of Islam will notice that this was achieved in several well-planned phases.