Who was he who sought the welfare of the people in this...
Who was he who sought the welfare of the people in this world as well as in the hereafter although they always grieved and harmed him? Who was this unique and angelic person whose enemies denied his virtues on account of their envy and avarice and whose friends deserted him on account of fear? He fought alone against corruption and destruction. His behaviour towards the people was constantly based on truth and sincerity. He was never enamoured of victory and was never disheartened by defeat.
He was an embodiment of truth and never cared for anything other than truth, whether some persons denied his virtues and some others feared him. Who could this unique person be except Ali, the vexed and distressed Commander of the Faithful with whose blood a wicked and impure man was going to besmear his hands so that it might serve as dowry for an impure and wicked woman? It was a dark and terrible night. The sky was overcast. At times the lightning flashed and spread light on all sides.
The eagles were sitting in their nests with their heads cast down, because on the following day their feathers were going to fall and they were to go in mourning for the chief of the world. The Imam was awake and his eyes were sleepless, because the people were groaning on account of oppression; some people indulged in luxuries and were ready to revolt. The powerful people were extremely tyrannical towards the weaker ones.
His enemies in collusion with one another were creating mischief and planning to revolt. Among them there were some evil-doers who professed love for one another. Some of his own followers had also forsaken truth and refrained from helping one another. All this was very painful to Ali. That night he reviewed his entire past life. He recollected that from his very boyhood his sword had made the Quraysh tremble and he did his best to spread Islam.
His people considered his activities to be childish, but he remained steadfast and rendered all possible assistance to the Prophet to make his mission a success. He also remembered the night of migration when he slept in the bed of the Prophet under the shadow of the swords of the Quraysh with the hope that Abu Sufyan and other polytheists would be mistaken and would not be able to do any harm to the Prophet.
He remembered the battles in which he defended the Prophet and Islam against the enemies. He could visualize the infidels scattering like the locusts which are scattered by a dust storm.