A poet of high capability who had kept silent in eulogizing...

A poet of high capability who had kept silent in eulogizing the Imam was blamed for not so doing. In response to those blaming him, the poet composed a poem expressing his inability the general concept of which is as follows: Blame me not in giving up the idea of eulogizing ‘Ali, for I know better than you the fact that when the inhabitants of heaven and the earth fail to counter the virtues of Qanbar, that is the slave of ‘Ali, how can I possibly speak of ‘Ali’s merits?

The orator of Khawarizm reports: a scholar was asked if he had composed a poem eulogizing ‘Ali and in answer he said: what should I say about a sublime person whose enemies envied his virtues and concealed them and his friends were not able to propagate his virtues out of fear of their lives and despite these two great obstacles, ‘Ali’s virtues and merits were such that they have enlightened the earth and the heaven as well as the east and the west.

Nevertheless, in this book, we will refer to parts of his virtues in the hope that we have complied with the order and we have recounted the words of the orator of Khawarizm in “Manaqib.” Reporting the Holy Prophet (S), Khawarizmi says: God Almighty has assigned innumerable virtues for my brother ‘Ali.

Whoever recalls one of his virtues and internalizes it, God will forgive his past and future sins and whoever writes a book about one of his virtues, angels will seek forgiveness for him as long as that book remains. Whoever listens to one of his virtues, God will forgive the sins he has committed through his hearing sense and should he read a book about ‘Ali’s virtues, God will forgive the sins he has committed through seeing.

The Holy Prophet has also been quoted as saying: Looking at the face of ‘Ali and remembering him is worship. God will never accept any servant’s faith save by love for ‘Ali and immunity from his enemies.