He accepted the offer and became the khalifah...

He accepted the offer and became the khalifah, although he adopted a different sirah afterwards. No one from among the of the Holy Prophet (SA) could be a match to 'Ali (AS) insofar as self-sacrifices, self-devotion, self-dedication, etc for the cause of the truth were concerned.

It cannot be denied that in the absence of this devoted harbinger of Islam, unbelievers and polytheists would have easily extinguished the light of the Nubuwwah in the night of Hijrah and afterwards in any one of the battles of Badr, 'Uhud, Khandaq, Khaybar, and Hunayn and would have resulted in the fall of the banner of the truth. Upon first entrance into the social environment, 'Ali (AS) had a very simple life.

During the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (SA), after the Prophet's demise, and even during his own glorious khilafah period, he lived like the poor and in the most humble condition.

He had no superiority over the needy insofar as food, clothing, and housing were concerned and used to: "The ruler of a society should live in such a way so as to be the source of consolation for the needy and the distressed and not the cause of their regret and disappointment." Although the ruler of the entire Islamic State, he had only seven hundred dirhams on the day of his martyrdom with which he wanted to hire a servant for his house. 'Ali (AS) used to work to meet the needs of life.

Particularly he was interested in agriculture and spent his time in planting trees and digging water canals. Whatever he earned in this manner or through the war-booty, he distributed among the needy. He endowed the properties which he had cultivated for the needy or distributed among them the money received as sale proceeds of such properties. Once, during the period of his own khilafah, 'Ali (AS) ordered to those concerned to bring the revenues of his endowments to him and then spend them.

When these revenues were collected, the amount reached 24 000 gold dinars. 'Ali (AS) always defeated his rivals in all the battles in which he took part. He never refrained from combatting an enemy.

'Ali (AS) said: "If the entire Arabia rises up in opposition and combat against me, I will not lose my courage and I will not fear anything." With such bravery and valour, for which the history of the brave men of the world has not found any equal, 'Ali (AS) was extremely compassionate, kind, generous, and magnanimous. In the battles, he never killed women, children, and the weak.