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Najaf showed me a selfless love – a love that stems from the countless narrations where the Messenger (SAW) proclaimed and demonstrated his love and affection for Imam Ali (RA).
By SALEEMAH JAFFER
THE bus stopped outside the compound in Najaf, and our luggage was loaded onto hand-drawn wooden carts. As we walked into the compound, each step brought us closer to the maqaam of Ameer al-Mumineen Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA), and soon the exhaustion from travel was forgotten.
It’s difficult to capture the fragrance and atmosphere of Najaf – I have never experienced anything like it before, and any comparison seems inadequate. There is a sense of tranquillity and sweetness in the air, yet at the same time, a vibrant, flowing energy.
Sayyiduna Ameer al-Mumineen Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) is well known to us all. He was born in the Kaaabah and was the son of Abu Talib, the honourable uncle of our Messenger (SAW).
Imam Ali (RA) lived with our Messenger (SAW) for many years; first in his own father’s home, and later in the marital home of the Messenger (SAW) and Sayyidah Khadija (RA). Imam Ali (RA) married their youngest daughter, Sayyidah Fatima (RA), and they had three children: Imam Hasan (RA), Imam Husayn (RA) and Sayyidah Zaynab (RA).
During his years with the Messenger (SAW), he was named one of the men who received the glad tidings of Paradise (Ashra Mubashra), and later became the fourth of the rightly guided caliphs (Khulafah Rashideen).
Stepping into his maqaam, I was left speechless. The entire masjid and maqaam is exquisitely decorated with mirrors, gemstones and marble. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling, transforming the patterned mosaic mirrors into rainbows. No pictures or descriptions could have prepared me for such incredible beauty.
I stood still for a moment, trying to take it all in. If this is the beauty of Imam Ali’s (RA) final resting place on earth, what must his palace in Jannah be like? Now, looking back, I would have expected to recall everything I knew about Imam Ali in that moment, but all I could think of was how deeply our Messenger (SAW) loved Imam Ali (RA). Everything my eyes fell upon seemed to be an expression of that love.
Najaf showed me a selfless love – a love that stems from the countless narrations where the Messenger (SAW) proclaimed and demonstrated his love and affection for Imam Ali (RA). It is a love built on the foundation of loyalty and trust. It is a love that lights a candle in your heart, providing warmth and comfort, as well as energy and encouragement. A love that fills your heart with longing for closeness to Rasulullah (SAW). A love that transforms you and makes you want to become a better person.
‘I have succeeded by the Lord of the Kaabah’ were the words uttered by Imam Ali (RA) when he was stabbed in sujood while praying Fajr salah in the Mosque of Kufa. I had read these words before, but I witnessed them in Najaf al-Ashraf and Kufa. Imam Ali (RA) knew that martyrdom in the path of Allah Ta’ala is the highest rank, and this was the greatest success. Allah Ta’ala refers to martyrs in His path in Surah Baqarah, ayah 154: “Never say that those martyred in the cause of Allah are dead – in fact, they are alive! But you do not perceive it.’
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I had always thought of Kufa as a place of betrayal. Now, I realise it is a place where loyalty, compassion and selflessness were ultimately successful and, through that, our faith was preserved for the generations to come.
As we recited ‘La ilaha illallah’ in the courtyard, I was reminded that had it not been for the courage and sacrifices of the Sabiqoon wal-Awwaloon (the foremost, the companions who were first to believe), the Ahlul Bayt, the Sahabah, and the Awliyah, I might never have known Allah Ta’ala and Rasulullah (SAW). Each of them understood their role and the need to preserve and propagate the message of Tawhid, as conveyed through the Quran and the authentic Prophetic Sunnah.
As my heart filled with love and gratitude for all those who came before us, paving the way, I was left with a question: What is my contribution to the preservation and propagation of Tawhid?
- This article was first published in the November 1, 2024 edition of MUSLIM VIEWS under Saleemah Jaffer’s monthly column, ‘THE ROAD WELL TRAVELLED – exploring issues of social responsibility, spirituality and agency’.
Saleemah Jaffer recently travelled to Iraq with a group guided by Hafidh Mahmood Khaitb. She is a student of the Alawi Husayni Ninowi Zawiyah.
