Imam Ali (a.s.) A Beacon of Courage
By Sulaiman Kattani, translated by I. K. A. Howard

(Continued)
Ali b. Abi Talib from an Historical Viewpoint:

Ali b. Abi Talib b. Abd al-Muttalib is the cousin of the Apostle, Muhammad b. Abd Allah b. Abd al-Muttalib al-Hashimi.

The Arabian Peninsula was struck by a drought which ruined the great family. Muhammad set about relieving the burden of his elderly uncle. So he took Ali into his own family. Ali grew up and thrived under the protection of his cousin Muhammad. At this time Muhammad was receiving revelation from the mouth of Gabriel in the cave of Hira. Ali was the first to witness the birth of the new Message. At an early age, between nine and ten, he became convinced of the truth of the new religion.

He was early to mature, strong in build, sharp in intelligence, penetrating in discernment, brave and conversant with knowledge to a high degree. He has left a great reminder of this in the book Nahj al-Balagha, the Message put forward to public opinion with the good news of the unity of God.

The leaders of Quraysh opposed it and considered it a repudiation of their own gods and a threat to the mandate of their leadership. From this came the beginning of the struggle which was gradually to increase from violence to greater violence and then to war and slaughter. In all these stages Ali was at the right hand of his cousin and his bravest and most useful supporter. The emigration or hijra from Mecca to Medina was the first opportunity for the Message to escape from oppression. It gave Muhammad a means of escape from the clutches of the leaders of Quraysh who were determined to kill him on one of the coming nights.
Therefore, Ali b. Abi Talib in order to provide cover for the withdrawal of his cousin, slept in his bed so that the men stationed to kill the Prophet would think that the Prophet was still within their grasp. Thus he provided sufficient time for him to escape and get away under the cover of darkness, so that Ali has been regarded as one of the first examples of self-sacrifice.
After the return of the emigrants from Abyssinia where they had been taken care of, the struggle began to take its violent form.

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