ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Biography of Imam `alĪ Ibn AbĪ-tĀlib Education and Upbringing The ideal environment that `Ali ibn Abi-Talib had was his singular privilege. He opened his eyes in the lap of the Prophet of Islam (a.s), had his upbringing under his tutelage and spent his youth in his august company.

He benefited from the Prophet’s fountainhead of learning and grew up under his care as Fatimah bint Asad says: “When `Ali (a.s) was born, the Prophet (a.s) Gave him this name and made him suck his tongue. He dropped his saliva in the mouth of the baby and put his tongue in his mouth. Sucking the tongue, the baby slept. On the second day we searched for a foster mother, but `Ali (a.s) took away his mouth from the bosom of the women. We thought of Muhammad (a.s).

He put his tongue in the mouth of the baby who then slept soundly. This went on until Allah desired it to be so.”[1] Although during the period of fosterage `Ali (a.s) had his mother’s care, but after weaning the Prophet (a.s) took up the responsibility. He used to give him the bath and spend hours taking him round in his arms. While awake, he used to sing lullabies to him. He took more care than the parents did in the upbringing of `Ali (a.s).

At the age of six years `Ali (a.s) formally came under the care of the Prophet (a.s).The parents were relieved of his responsibility. The apparent reason of his coming totally under the tutelage of the Prophet (a.s) was that Makkah was passing through one of its worst droughts and Abū-Talib had difficulty of maintaining his large family. The Prophet (a.s), realizing his uncle’s straitened financial position, felt that he needed to be helped. He discussed the matter with his other uncle, `Abbas.

He told him that Abū-Talib will not express about the difficulties himself. He said that Allah had endowed `Abbas with wealth and he could provide his brother some relief by sharing the burden along with the others in the family. `Abbas agreed with the suggestion and both of them went to Abū-Talib for a discussion. They suggested to him that they came to him with a proposal that they would share [1] Al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah, Dahlān, Page 176 the burden of maintaining some of his children.

In the beginning, he was hesitant, but in the end, he yielded. They decided that `Aqil would remain with Abū-Talib, and said that `Abbas was free to take other sons with him.