Tacit and Explicit Testimony as proof of Amir al-Mu’minin Ali’s (a.s.) Divine Authority over the people after the Messenger of Allah

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ وَلَايَةُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ع وَ كَانَ مِنْ قَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص سَلِّمُوا عَلَى عَلِيٍّ بِإِمْرَةِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَكَانَ مِمَّا أَكَّدَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمَا فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ يَا زَيْدُ قَوْلُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص لَهُمَا قُومَا فَسَلِّمَا عَلَيْهِ بِإِمْرَةِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَقَالا أَ مِنَ اللَّهِ أَوْ مِنْ رَسُولِهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ- فَقَالَ لَهُمَا رَسُولُ اللَّه

“When Wilaya (Divine Authority over the people) of 'Ali ibn Abu Talib has descended and it was in the words of the Messenger of Allah they all greeted and congratulated Ali (a.s.) as the commander of the believers. Of the matters that Allah had stressed up on the two of them on that day, O Zayd was what came through th

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ لَمَّا أَنْ قَضَى مُحَمَّدٌ نُبُوَّتَهُ وَ اسْتَكْمَلَ أَيَّامَهُ أَوْحَى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى إِلَيْهِ أَنْ يَا مُحَمَّدُ قَدْ قَضَيْتَ نُبُوَّتَكَ وَ اسْتَكْمَلْتَ أَيَّامَكَ فَاجْعَلِ الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي عِنْدَكَ وَ الْإِيْمَانَ وَ الِاسْمَ الْأَكْبَرَ وَ مِيرَاثَ الْعِلْمِ وَ آثَارَ عِلْمِ النُّبُوَّةِ فِي أَهْلِ بَيْتِكَ عِنْدَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ فَإِنِّي لَنْ أَقْطَعَ الْعِلْمَ وَ الْإِيمَ

“When Muhammad (s.a.) completed his task of prophet-hood and the duration of his life was about to end Allah, the Most High sent him wahy information through the angels. It said, “O Muhammad, your task of prophet-hood has come to an end and the duration of your life is about to reach a close. Therefore, you must place

أَوْصَى مُوسَى ع إِلَى يُوشَعَ بْنِ نُونٍ وَ أَوْصَى يُوشَعُ بْنُ نُونٍ إِلَى وَلَدِ هَارُونَ وَ لَمْ يُوصِ إِلَى وَلَدِهِ وَ لَا إِلَى وَلَدِ مُوسَى إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى لَهُ الْخِيَرَةُ يَخْتَارُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِمَّنْ يَشَاءُ وَ بَشَّرَ مُوسَى وَ يُوشَعُ بِالْمَسِيحِ ع فَلَمَّا أَنْ بَعَثَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ الْمَسِيحَ ع قَالَ الْمَسِيحُ لَهُمْ إِنَّهُ سَوْفَ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِي نَبِيٌّ اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ مِنْ

“Moses prepared his will and be given to Yusha‘ ibn Nun. Yusha‘ ibn Nun made his will to be given to the sons of Harun. He did not made a will to be given to his own sons nor to be given to the sons of Moses. To Allah, the Most High belong all the good choice. He chooses whoever He wants from whomever He wants. He gave

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص فِي مَرَضِهِ الَّذِي تُوُفِّيَ فِيهِ ادْعُوا لِي خَلِيلِي- فَأَرْسَلَتَا إِلَى أَبَوَيْهِمَا فَلَمَّا نَظَرَ إِلَيْهِمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص أَعْرَضَ عَنْهُمَا ثُمَّ قَالَ ادْعُوا لِي خَلِيلِي فَأُرْسِلَ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ فَلَمَّا نَظَرَ إِلَيْهِ أَكَبَّ عَلَيْهِ يُحَدِّثُهُ فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ لَقِيَاهُ فَقَالا لَهُ مَا حَدَّثَكَ خَلِيلُكَ فَقَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَلْفَ بَابٍ يَفْتَحُ كُلُّ بَابٍ أَلْفَ بَا

“the Messenger of Allah during the illness from which died said, ‘Call my beloved one to come to me.” We sent to call the fathers of the two of them (‘A’isha and hafsa’s fathers). When the Messenger of Allah looked at them he turned away from them. He them said again, “Call my beloved one to come to me.” Ali was then c

عَلَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص عَلِيّاً ص أَلْفَ حَرْفٍ كُلُّ حَرْفٍ يَفْتَحُ أَلْفَ حَرْفٍ.

“the Messenger of Allah made Ali (a.s.) learn a thousand letters of which each one opens a thousand letters.”

كَانَ فِي ذُؤَابَةِ سَيْفِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص صَحِيفَةٌ صَغِيرَةٌ فَقُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَيُّ شَيْ‌ءٍ كَانَ فِي تِلْكَ الصَّحِيفَةِ قَالَ هِيَ الْأَحْرُفُ الَّتِي يَفْتَحُ كُلُّ حَرْفٍ أَلْفَ حَرْفٍ قَالَ أَبُو بَصِيرٍ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَمَا خَرَجَ مِنْهَا حَرْفَانِ حَتَّى السَّاعَةِ.

“In the hilt of the sword of the the Messenger of Allah there was a small booklet.” The narrator has said that then he asked the Imam (a.s.), “What did that booklet contain?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “It contained the few letters of which each letter opened a thousand letters. Abu Basir has said that abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.)

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ هَلْ لِلْمَاءِ الَّذِي يُغَسَّلُ بِهِ الْمَيِّتُ حَدٌّ مَحْدُودٌ قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص قَالَ لِعَلِيٍّ ع إِذَا مِتُّ فَاسْتَقِ سِتَّ قِرَبٍ مِنْ مَاءِ بِئْرِ غَرْسٍ فَغَسِّلْنِي وَ كَفِّنِّي وَ حَنِّطْنِي فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ مِنْ غُسْلِي وَ كَفْنِي فَخُذْ بِجَوَامِعِ كَفَنِي وَ أَجْلِسْنِي ثُمَّ سَلْنِي عَمَّا شِئْتَ فَوَ اللَّهِ لَا تَسْأَلُنِي عَنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ إِلَّ

‘May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, is there a certain quantitiyof water required to give Ghusl (bath) a dead person?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “The Messenger of Allah said to Ali (a.s.), ‘When I will die draw six sacks of water from the well Ghars (name of the well). Then wash my body, shroud it and rub ca

لَمَّا حَضَرَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص الْمَوْتُ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ عَلِيٌّ ع فَأَدْخَلَ رَأْسَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا عَلِيُّ إِذَا أَنَا مِتُّ فَغَسِّلْنِي وَ كَفِّنِّي ثُمَّ أَقْعِدْنِي وَ سَلْنِي وَ اكْتُبْ.

“When the Messenger of Allah was about to leave this world Ali (a.s.) came in to see him he (the Messenger of Allah) placed his (Ali’s) head under the blanket and said, “O Ali, when I will die, wash my body and shroud it then place me in a sitting posture then ask me and write down.”

دَخَلْتُ أَنَا وَ كَامِلٌ التَّمَّارُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقَالَ لَهُ كَامِلٌ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ حَدِيثٌ رَوَاهُ فُلَانٌ فَقَالَ اذْكُرْهُ فَقَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ص حَدَّثَ عَلِيّاً ع بِأَلْفِ بَابٍ يَوْمَ تُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص كُلُّ بَابٍ يَفْتَحُ أَلْفَ بَابٍ فَذَلِكَ أَلْفُ أَلْفِ بَابٍ فَقَالَ لَقَدْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَظَهَرَ ذَلِكَ لِشِيعَتِكُمْ وَ مَوَالِيكُمْ فَقَا

there is a hadith which so and so son of so and so has narrated.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Say and read it.” He (Kamil) then said, “He so and so narrated to me that the Holy Prophet narrated a thousand chapter to Ali on the day the Messenger of Allah died. Each of those chapters open a thousand chapter. The total becomes

شَهِدْتُ وَصِيَّةَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع حِينَ أَوْصَى إِلَى ابْنِهِ الْحَسَنِ ع وَ أَشْهَدَ عَلَى وَصِيَّتِهِ الْحُسَيْنَ ع وَ مُحَمَّداً وَ جَمِيعَ وُلْدِهِ وَ رُؤَسَاءَ شِيعَتِهِ وَ أَهْلَ بَيْتِهِ ثُمَّ دَفَعَ إِلَيْهِ الْكِتَابَ وَ السِّلَاحَ وَ قَالَ لِابْنِهِ الْحَسَنِ ع يَا بُنَيَّ أَمَرَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص أَنْ أُوصِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَ أَنْ أَدْفَعَ إِلَيْكَ كُتُبِي وَ سِلَاحِي كَمَا أَوْصَى إِلَيَّ رَسُولُ

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Ibrahim ibn ‘Umar al-Yamani and ‘Umar ibn ’Udhayna from Sulaym ibn Qays who has said the following. “I witnessed Amir al-Mu’minin Ali’s (a.s.) will made before me in which he appointed his, al-Hassan (a.s.) as the executor. He called al-Husayn (a