Aren’t you pleased that you are to me as Haroon was to Moosa?

Aren’t you pleased that you are to me as Haroon was to Moosa?’” Imam ‘Ali (a) was the commander of the army in most battles. When the Prophet was making , brothers of each other, he made Imam ‘Ali (a) his brother. There are countless virtues of Imam ‘Ali (a).

Ahmad ibn Hanbal says: “There is no Companion except Imam ‘Ali (a) for whom so many traditions praising his virtue are present.”[^2] Some scholars say that the reason behind so many traditions narrating the virtues of Imam ‘Ali is that the Umayyads had tried every means to conceal them. Hence the narrators thought that it was their religious responsibility to publish the virtues of Imam ‘Ali (a). The sky has never witnessed a scholar like Imam ‘Ali (a).

The Prophet had announced in the Battle of Khaiber: Tomorrow I shall hand the banner to a person who loves Allah and His Messenger and they too love him. Allah will grant victory at his hands. On the next day, the Prophet handed over the banner to Imam ‘Ali (a). Umar used to say: This was the only day when I desired leadership. The Prophet handed over the verses of Surah Baraat to ‘Ali (a) to preach.

[^3] Imam ‘Ali (a) covered himself with a cloak and slept on the Prophet’s bed to save his life during the night when the latter migrated to Medina. The Prophet used to tell Imam ‘Ali (a): You are the chief of all believers after me. The Prophet ordered the doors of all houses opening inside the mosque to be closed permanently except that of Imam ‘Ali (a). Imam ‘Ali (a) was allowed to pass from the mosque any time as there was no other way for him to pass by.

The Prophet ordered a pulpit to be made out of camel saddles.