But it would not have been an easy thing for Imam Ali to...

But it would not have been an easy thing for Imam Ali to have left the dead body of the Prophet unattended, waiting for the last rights with not a single man there, all having gone off to fight for an empire which had been acquired by the man lying there dead - that man who was not only a Prophet, but also the benefactor of a nation, who had given them a religion, made a nation of them, acquired for them an empire, reformed their society, and taught them lessons of virtue.

They were poor; he made them rich. They were as beasts; he made them men. They were at daggers drawn with each other; he made them live like brothers. In fact all that they had, had been given to them by this man whose dead body was lying there in its forlorn condition. Besides the duties made incumbent upon them by Islam, this was a shameful demonstration of the most base vice in man- ingratitude.

As if this was not enough, they added insult to injury by declaring as their excuse for this conduct, which must have appeared even to themselves as highly improper, that they were obliged to adopt this course because the appointment of a successor to the Prophet was of the highest import and called for their immediate attention, as the Prophet (P) had neglected to discharge this very important duty.

This surely was the unkindest cut of all, as it implied that they were wiser and more solicitous about the good of Islam than the Prophet himself. Do those critical of Imam Ali's "political acumen" think that he should have joined them in this scramble for power?

Had he done so, it would have been served to open the door to the following inferences and outcomes: The Prophet (P) was careless enough to leave Islam (un-provided-for by not appointing his own successor or not making any arrangement for it. This carelessness was so palpable and so grossly sinful that it leads to the obvious conclusion that the Prophet (P) had no love for Islam.

This, coupled with the attitude of his nearest relative in discarding all the maxims of virtue, morality, decency and humanity professed by Islam to indulge in the unseemly quarrel for power, would have confirmed the charge made by the heathens that Muhammad (P) was aiming at monarchy in the garb of Prophet-hood. Imam Ali's conduct would have furnished a precedent to the ensuing generations of Muslims to put their selfish ends before any considerations of decency, morality and religion.