WHO IS THIS ALI?

About whom the famous Christian historians, like Thomas Carlyle, Polos Salmah, George Gordon, John
J. Pool, Oelsnar, Osborn, Gibbon, Gabriel Enkiri, Khalil Jibran, Michael Naimi, George Jurdaq,
Washington Irving, Macdonald Ebron, Macolme and others, and Muslim historians like Zaid Ibne Waheb
Johney, (1st century A.H.), Abdul Hameed Bin Yahya (132 A.H.), Ibnul Moqufa (142 A.H.),
Jahiz-e-Usmani, Ibne Nadeem Husham Ibne Saeed Kalbee (146 A.H.), Abu Usman, Omari Bin Baharul
Jahiz (255 A.H.), Ibne Qotayba-e-Dayanoori (280 A.H.), Abul Abbas Almobard (286 A.H.), Ibne Jurair
Tabari (310 A.H.), Abu Mohammad Hasan Ibne Ali Ibne Shobae Halbi (320 A.H.), Ibne Wareed (321 A.H.),
Ibne Abd Rabbeh (328 A.H.), Siqatul Islam Kulayni (329 A.H.), Ali Ibne Mohammad Ibn
Abdullah-e-Madani (356 A.H.), Masoodi (346 A.H.), Abul Faraj Isfahani (356 A.H.), Abul Ali Qauli (356
A.H.), Sheikh Sadooq (381 A.H.), Sheikh Mufeed (413 A.H.), Syed Razi (420 A.H.), Sheikhul Taifa Abu
Jafar Mohammad Ibne Hasan-e-Toosi (460 A.H.), Abu Sadaat Mubarak Majoddin, Ibne Aseer (606 A.H.),
Allama Sheikh Kamaluddin Ibne Talha Shafaee (652 A.H.), Ibne Abil Hadeed Motazali (655 A.H.), Imam
Bukhari, Allama Salahuddin Taftazanee (791 A.H.), Allama Alauddin Quoshjee (875 A.H.), Sheikh
Mohammad Abdoh (132 A.H.), Sheikh Mustafa Ghala, Ustad Mohammad Moiuddin, Ustad Abdul Wahab
Hamodah (1351 A.H.), Abdul Maseeh Anthakee, Fawad Afrun Basthani, Imam Noodi, Ibnul Arbi, Sibte
Ibne Jozi, Imam Hakim Neshapoori, Ibne Aseer, Abdul Birr, Allama Tabrani, Hafiz Abu Noaim, Imam
Soyooti, Allama Tirmizi, Allama Mohammad Mustafa Beg, Najeeb Mohammad Kaamil Katha, Imam
Ahmed Meelani, Tabari, Alliul Muttaqi, Imam Abu Umar, Yusuf Ibne Abdul Barwaqudi, Shah Ismail
Hameini, Shah Waliullah Dehlavi, Abul Fide, Imam Hanbal, Imam Ghazali, Ibne Shehabal Zohari,
Mohammad Ibne Ishaque Ibne Rahooya, Ibne Sabbagh-e-Maliki, Sheikh Abdul Haq Mohaddis Dehlavi,
Allama Mohammad Moin, Imam Fakhruddin Raazi, Imam Nisai, Allama Ibne Hajar-e-Makki, Shahristani,
Shibli Nomani, Allama Zamakhshari, Justice Ameer Ali, Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan and so many others.
It is also said that a scholar of 13th century A.D. Ibn Shahrashub-al-Mazoarani had a thousand books
with the title "Munaqib" (Noble virtues) in his library all written about Ali (A.S.).

It is significant to note that the sources from which the material has been collected on Ali (A.S.) or
about Ali (A.S.) and his family and friends has been the sources that were too far from them. They did
not have any direct or close relations with Ali (A.S.) or his relatives, descendants friends and their
relations. The government had so terrorized the people that nobody dared to go near the descendants
of the Prophet (S.A.W) or Ali (A.S.). Imam Bukhari who had the privilege of living at a time when four of
the greatest descendants of the Prophet (S.A.W) viz, Imam Ali Ibne Moosa Ar Reza, Imam Mohammad
Taqi, Imam Ali Naqi and Imam Hasan Askari (peace be on them all) were living but he did not consult
them or even see them. Though it is said that he travelled throughout the world and met each and every
person who could give him some material on the life and activities of the Prophet (S.A.W), his relatives
and friends. Even the friends of Ali (A.S.) and their descendants were prevented from taking any
information from them [Al-Fiqah by Maulana Umar Kareem]. The same attitude was adopted by other
traditionalists like Muslim, Abi Dawood, Tirmizi, Nisai and Ibne Majah who too lived during the same
period but never referred to the Prophet (S.A.W)’s descendants. Hafiz Bin Asaakir has mentioned a list
of all such great writers who avoided meeting the family members of the Prophet (S.A.W) and their
descendants. [Minhajus Sunnah of Ibne Taimia, page 121). Even then so much has been said of him
and yet so little. His pragmatic personality presents a fresh hue to every one who wants to see at him
and find him. Let us also search for this serene soul, this moving spirit of Islam, this bright star in the
sky of humanity.