Beautiful Recitations

Fatima: The Perfect Role Model

Amongst the fourteen infallibles, it was necessary for one of them to be a woman as if all of them were men, then all of the advice, recommendations and teachings which we see directed towards the women of the community – things such as how to take care of ones’ spouse, how to maintain the home, how to take care of the children, the style and function of the hijab, how to modestly maneuver within society, patience and submission to God in the face of challenges and the hundreds of other teachings would have been mere words which were spoken and simple theological discussion to be studied. It is possible that women of all ages would have said to themselves: “If there was at least one infallible woman from amongst all of these people that God sent for guidance, a woman who knew what we as women go through, how we feel and how our emotions are formulated, then all of these pieces of advice we have been given and responsibilities which have been put on our shoulders would not have been there – as these men just don’t understand us!”

To dye hair, advise for men and women

It is mustahab (commendable) for men to dye their head and beard.
There are fourteen advantages for women in dyeing their hair and applying
henna to their head and feet:
a) Deafness is cured
b) Brightness in the eyes is increased
c) Dryness of nose is lessened
d) There is good breath in the mouth
e) Gums are strengthened
f) There is no bad smell in the under arms
g) There is less temptation from the devil
h) The angels are happy
i) It is a means to the happiness of a momin
j) The nonbelievers get jealous
k) It is beauty in itself
l) It is good scent in itself
m) It is a means to the salvation from the curse of the grave
n) It makes Munker and Nakeer feel shy
According to a tradition, a certain person visited the Holy Prophet
(s.a.w.a.) and when the Holy Prophet saw a few white hair in his beard,
he said that these hair are light and all the muslims who possess a single
white hair in the beard, there will be a light for them on the day of
judgement.
According to another tradition, Hazrat Ali (a.s.) said that he did not
apply dye (khizab) as he was mourning for the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)
Another reliable tradition states that Imam Ja'far-e-Sadiq (a.s.) said
that among a few bad signs o which will appear in the world during the
last days will be that men of Bani Abbas will act like their women by applying
henna to the hands and feet and comb like them.
According to Imam Ja'far-e-Sadiq (a.s.), the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)
ordered every woman to apply henna whether she was a widow or a
happily married woman, the former as not to let her hands resemble
men, the latter to beautify them for her husband.

-Allama Majlisi's Tehzee ul Islam, Part 2, Ch.11 

Women in Glance - Wording of Imam Ali (as) Part 6

The second point which must be mentioned is that in many of the
verses of the QurÁn we see that humanity on a whole has been
condemned – for example:

Indeed man has been created covetous: anxious when an ill befalls him and grudging when good comes his way.

In another place in the QurÁn we read:

إِنَّهُ ۥ كَانَ ظَلُومً۬ا جَهُولاً۬ 

Indeed he (the human being) is most unjust and senseless.

In yet another place in the QurÁn we read that the human being is one whose rejection of the bounties of God is transparent and apparent for everyone to see: 

إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَكَفُورٌ۬ مُّبِينٌ

Man is indeed a manifest ingrate.

In one more place, the human being has been considered as a creation that anytime a blessing reaches him, he goes into a state of rebellion: 

كَلَّآ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَيَطۡغَىٰٓ (٦) أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسۡتَغۡنَىٰٓ (٧)

Indeed man becomes rebellious, when he considers himself without need.

There are many more such verses as well in the QurÁn. 

Without a doubt the human being is not, within his nature, to be a 

manifest ingrate, nor is he most unfair and senseless, nor is he rebellious.

Rather, apparently what is meant here is that these verses are talking 

about human beings who have – willingly – not gone under the training 

and nurturing of the Divinely appointed leaders, and just like plants, 

allow themselves to grow on their own. They do not have a guide, nor 

do they have anyone to help them wake up from their spiritual slumber, 

and thus they are caught up in their own whims and desires. 

It is for this reason that in the QurÁn there is praise for those people 

who possess God-consciousness and submit to the orders of AllÁh, and 

principally [the existence of] humanity themselves have been introduced 

as the ultimate purpose behind the creation of the universe: 

Certainly We have honored the Children of Adam, and carried them over land and sea, and provided them with all the good things, and given them an advantage over many of those whom We have created with a complete preference.

When we speak about the female gender as well, we see that the same
rules apply (as mentioned above in these verses of the QurÁn).
Amongst women, there are those who are noble such that it is even
difficult to find men who have reached their caliber; but the opposite of
this is also true that there are many women who have gone astray and
are the source of many of the societal evils.


By keeping this introduction in mind, let us now begin the
interpretation and clarification of the sermon mentioned (about the
“deficiencies in women”) and at the end of our discussion, we will bring
up some final points in this regards.

Women in Glance - Wording of Imam Ali (as) Part 5

At other times they had been thought of as being nothing more than a 
mere slave; in other instances, they were considered as the superior sex 
and the concept of ‘female domination’ of society was brought forth as 
the ideal notion! In regards to each of these views, it can be said that all 
of these extreme interpretations have had immense repercussions on 
one another. 
In today’s society, especially in the Western societies, or those who 
emulate “The West” and claim to follow democracy, we see the same 
sorts of discussions in regards to women. 
During election times, politicians realized that they needed to gain the 
vote of the women, as men and women tend to vote in similar patterns; 
in addition, the capitalist system heavily required that women enter the 
workplace - especially considering the fact that most often, women are 
paid less than men and are given less opportunities than men to excel in 
the work environment. As well, the entire system of marketing and 
advertising which makes up a large part of the political and economic 
propaganda also requires the use of women [to market and sell their 
products]. 
It is due to all of these reasons that in their speeches, various nations 
continuously “defend” women’s rights and do their utmost to elevate 
the character of women; however in their practical actions, we don’t see 
any attempt in sincerely and honestly working to elevate their honour 
and status; thus the women of today have been caught up in many levels 
of frustration and disappointment – the same things which they were 
also deprived of in the past. 
This same thing can also be seen when you wade through the religious 
texts in which some groups maintained women’s rights as merely 
slogans to promote and defended them due to some act of pretension;
______________________________________________________________
The Wicked Woman - Part 7: “For from garments cometh a moth, and from 
women wickedness. Better is the churlishness of a man than a courteous 
woman, a woman, I say, which bringeth shame and reproach.” (Eccles. 42:13-14) 


they interpreted the religious texts in such a way as to paint a picture 
that a majority of the women would relate to and would – albeit in a 
dishonest way – show the women as having some predisposition [which 
they do not possess].

The sermon narrated above and other similar limited statements which 
are contained in Nahjul Balagha have not remained un-touched from 
being discussed and commented upon. 
Sometimes, the chain of narrators (sanad) has been called into question, 
and sometimes the explanation of the text has been discussed such that 
the smallest amount of filth of weakness can be attributed to women. 
Another one of the plots has been to go to an extreme (in discussing 
this sermon) such that some state that women in general are the 
complete totality of deficiencies and incompetency!
However, in the midst of this discussion, there are two things which we 
cannot deny – the first is that this sermon was delivered after The Battle 
of Jamal and we know that the person who was at the center of that war 
was the wife of the Noble Prophet - Àyesha who had been 
encouraged by two companions of the Prophet - namely Talhaa and 
Zubayr and in an unprecedented move entered the battlefield, resulting 
in the spilling of the blood of many innocent and uninformed 
individuals. Some scholars state that the number of people killed in this 
one battle exceeded 17,000! 
Indeed it is true that after the army of Àyesha , ÓalÎa and Zubayr lost 
the war, this wife of the Prophet expressed her remorse (at what she had 
done), and that the Commander of the Faithful Ali , simply due to 
the respect [which he had for] the Prophet  honorably returned her 
back to Madina, however the ill-effects which this war left on the 
Muslim society will remain forever in the annals of history.

Women in Glance - Wording of Imam Ali (as) Part 4

Imam Ali (as) wished to speak of her and her actions in an indirect
manner to open the eyes of the people and therefore, the method which
he chose was to explain the religious rulings (ahkam-Shahr'i) which are
specific to women and the rulings highlighted the “limitations” and
“restrictions” in the rights and privileges of women and men and to
show us that they are not equal (in all areas of life – and that this too is
for a reason). Through this, he wanted to show the people that Àyesha
is the same as other women in these certain issues and to make them
question themselves as to why they should have followed her and
listened to her advice (over that of Allah i and the Noble Prophet. (1)

1
 Written by the Translator


The sermon at a glance 

As it has been mentioned in the discussion concerning the transmission
of this sermon (as seen below), Imam Ali delivered this sermon
after The Battle of the Camel (Al-Jamal) which took place in Basrah
(Iraq) in the year 656 CE/35 AH and the subsequent defeat of the army of
Àyesha b. Abi Bakr.
In this sermon, he reproaches women, and of course the meaning of
him ‘reproaching women’ are only those types of women who had
launched (such calculated) attacks - those who were responsible for
instigating The Battle of the Camel. Imam Ali referred to such
women as having a “deficiency” and it was because of this shortcoming
that they engaged in such detrimental activities. Therefore, he
reprimanded them and warned the believers to steer clear of their
inductions.
Arabic text of the sermon
مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، إِنَّ النِّسَاءَ نَوَاقِصُ الْإِيمَانِ، نَوَاقِصُ الْحُظُوظِ، نَوَاقِصُ الْعُقُولِ: فَأَمَّا نُقْصَانُ إِيمَانِهِنَّ فَقُعُودُهُنَّ عَنِ الصَّلاةِ وَالصِّيَامِ فِي أَيَّامِ حَيْضِهِنَّ، وَأَمَّا نُقْصَانُ عُقُولِهِنَّ فَشَهَادَةُ امْرَأَتَيْنِ مِنْهُنّ كَشَهَادَةِ الرَّجُلِ الْوَاحِدِ، وَأَمَّا نُقْصَانُ حُظُوظِهِنَّ فَمَوَارِيثُهُنَّ عَلَى الْإِنْصَافِ مِنْ مَوارِيثِ الرِّجَالِ; فَاتَّقُوا شِرَارَ النِّسَاءِ، وَكُونُوا مِنْ خِيَارِهِنَّ عَلَى حَذَرٍ، وَلاَتُطِيعُوهُنَّ فِي المَعْرُوفِ حَتَّى لاَ يَطْمَعْنَ فِي المُنكَرِ.

O’ people! Women are ‘deficient’ in faith, ‘deficient’ in shares, 

and ‘deficient’ in intelligence. In regards to the ‘deficiency’ in 

their faith, it is their abstention from prayers and fasting 

during their menstrual period. In regards to their ‘deficiency’ 

in their intelligence, it is because the evidence of two women is 

equal to that of one man. As for the ‘deficiency’ of their shares, 

it is because of their share of inheritance being half that of 

men. So beware of the evils of women. Be on your guard even 

from those of them who are (reportedly) good. Do not obey 

them even in good things, so that they may not attract you to 

evils things. 

The Transmission of this Sermon 

It is documented that this sermon is a portion of a letter which Imam 
Ali wrote after Umro Às took over the reins of the rule of Egypt 
after the martyrdom of Muhammad b. Abi Bakr. In that letter, the 
Imam related the painful events which transpired after the passing 
away of the Noble Prophet. The Imam ordered that his letter be 
read publicly so that the masses would know what transpired and so 
that the satanic whispers which were prevalent in the community at that 
time would not impact the people. 
It is not improbable to believe that the Imam spoke the words in 
this sermon [which we will be reviewing] more than once - the first time 
being after The Battle of Jamal – the war in which Àyesha played the 
principle role as one of the leaders in that major act of sedition; and 
that he repeated his words in another lengthy letter which he wrote.

Ibn al-Jawzi has stated: 
The scholars of biography (sirah) have related that when Ali, 
peace be upon him, had concluded The Battle of Jamal, he 
ascended the pulpit in Basrah (Iraq) and delivered this sermon. In reality, his words point to the instigation for The Battle of Jamal and the misdeeds of Àyesha. (2)
As for those who have narrated this sermon before Sayyid al-Razi the 
list includes Abu Talib al-Makki in his book, Quwwatul Qulub; the late 
Shaykh al-Kulayni in volume five of Furu al-Kafi; Ibrahim b. Hilal al Thaqafi in his book al-Gharat; Ibne Qutyabah in his book al-Imamah 
wal Siyasah; and al-Tabari in his book al-Mustarshid (with some 
variations) – this list of references has been derived from Masadir 
Nahjul Balagha, vol. 2, pg. 86.

Amongst the commentators on the text of Nahjul Balagha – specifically 

the contemporary writers – much has been said in regards to the 

explanation of this sermon, and it is for this reason that we begin with 

the following introduction to ensure that the discussions in regards to 

this sermon are made clear. 

During the course of history, the character of the woman has gone 
through much discussion and many extreme things have been stated as 
pass judgement on women. Sometimes their status as a human being 
has been diminished, and at other times, their very nature of being 
considered a human being has been called into doubt! (3)
___________________________________________________________

2 - Note that what Ibn al-Jawzi has stated and that which Sayyid al-RaÐi have 

stated in regards to the delivery of this sermon differ from one another. 

3 - Refer to the following passes of the Old and New Testament (Bible) - [added 

by the translator]: 

Burn The Daughter: “And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by 

playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.” 

(Leviticus 21:9) 

Cut Off Her Hand: “When men strive together one with another and the wife 

of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets: then 
thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her.” (Deuteronomy 25:11-
12) 
Female Births Get Penalty: “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a 
woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean 
seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she 
be unclean.” (Leviticus 12:2) … “But if she bear a maid (female) child, then she 
shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the 
blood of her purifying threescore and six days.” (Leviticus 12:5) 
Female Inferiority: “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is 
Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” 
(I Corinthians 11:3) 
Female Inferiority: “For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the 
man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the 
man.” (I Corinthians 11:8-9) 
Jesus Will Kill Children: “Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and they that 
commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their 
deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know 
that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every 
one of you according to your works.” (Revelation 2:22-23) 
Kill The Witches: “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Whoever lieth with a 
beast shall surely be put to death. He that sacrificeth unto any god, save to the 
LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.” (Exodus 22:18-20) 
Rape My Daughter: “Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his 
concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them 
what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing. But the 
men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought 
her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the 
morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.” (Judges 19:24-25) 
Silence The Woman: “Let the women learn in silence with all subjection. But 
I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be 
in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, 
but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” (I Timothy 2:11-14) 
Stone The Woman: “If a man be found lying with a woman married to a 
husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;” (Deuteronomy 
22:22) Stone The Woman: “Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that 
city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she 
cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his 
neighbour’s wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.” (Deuteronomy 
22:24) 
Wives, Submit Yourselves: “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own 
husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as 
Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as 
the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in 
everything.” (Ephesians 5:22-24) 
Women Shall Not Speak: “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for 
it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under 
obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask 
their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.” (I 
Corinthians 14:34-35) 
Women’s Sorrow: “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow 
and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire 
shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” (Genesis 3:16) 
Rip Up Pregnant Women: “Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath 
rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be 
dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.” (Hosea 13:16) 
The Wicked Woman - Part 1: “Give me any plague, but the plague of the 
heart: and any wickedness, but the wickedness of a woman.” (Eccles. 25:13) 
The Wicked Woman - Part 2: “Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and 
through her we all die.” (Eccles. 25:22) 
The Wicked Woman - Part 3: “If she go not as thou wouldest have her, cut 
her off from thy flesh, and give her a bill of divorce, and let her go.” (Eccles. 25: 
26) 
The Wicked Woman - Part 4: “The whoredom of a woman may be known in 
her haughty looks and eyelids. If thy daughter be shameless, keep her in 
straitly, lest she abuse herself through overmuch liberty.” (Eccles. 26:9-10) 
The Wicked Woman - Part 5: “A silent and loving woman is a gift of the 
Lord: and there is nothing so much worth as a mind well instructed. A 
shamefaced and faithful woman is a double grace, and her continent mind 
cannot be valued.” (Eccles. 26:14-15) 
The Wicked Woman - Part 6: “A shameless woman shall be counted as a dog; 
but she that is shamefaced will fear the Lord.” (Eccles.26:25)

Signs of the coming of the Mahdi (as)

Imam who will arise Imam Mahdi (as) (Qa'im), and the events which will take place before his appearance, together with the indications and features of it.
Among them are:
- The Sufyani will come out in revolt;
- the Hasanid will be killed;
- the Abbasids will dispute over worldly kingdom;
- there will be an eclipse of the sun in the middle of the month of Ramadan;
- there will be an eclipse of the moon at the end of that month in contrast to ordinary happenings;
- the land will be swallowed up at al-Bayda'; it will be swallowed in the east-it will be swallowed up in the west;
- the sun will stay still from the time of its decline to the middle of the time for the afternoon prayer;
- it will rise from the west;
- a pure soul (nafs zakiyya) will be killed in the outskirts of Kufa with seventy righteous men;
- a Hashimite will be slaughtered between the corner (of the Ka'ba) and the station of Abraham);
- the wall of the mosque of Kufa will be destroyed;
- black standards will advance from Khurasan;
- al-Yamani will come out in revolt;
- al-Maghribi will appear in Egypt and take possession of it from Syria;
- the Turk will occupy the region of al-Jazira;
- the Byzantines will occupy Ramla;
- the star will appear in the east giving light just like the moon gives light;
- then (the new moon) will bend until its two tips almost meet;
- a colour will appear in the sky and spread to its horizons;
- a fire will appear for a long time in the east remaining in the air for three or seven days;
- the Arabs will throw off the reins and take possession of their land, throwing out the foreign authority;
- the people of Egypt will kill their ruler and destroy Syria; and three standards will dispute over it (Syria);
- the standards of Qays and the Arabs will come among the people of Egypt;
- the standards of Kinda (will go) to Khurasan;
- horses will come from the west until they are stabled in al-Hira;
- the black standards will advance towards them from the east; the Euphrates will flood so that the water comes into the alleys of Kufa;
- sixty liars will come forward, all of them claiming prophethood, and twelve will come forward from the family of Abu Talib, all of them claiming the Imamate; a man of important rank of the supporters of the 'Abbasids will be burnt between Jalula' and Khaniqin;
- the bridge next to Karkh in the city of Baghdad will be established;
- a black wind will raise it at the beginning of the day and then an earthquake will occur so that much of it will be swallowed up;
- fear will cover the people of Iraq and Baghdad; swift death (will occur) there and there will be a loss of property, lives and harvests;
- locusts will appear at their usual times and at times not usual so that they attack agricultural land and crops and there will be little harvest for what the people planted;
- two kinds of foreigners will dispute and much blood will be shed in their quarrel;
- slaves will rebel against obedience to their masters and kill their masters (mawali);
- a group of heretics (ahl al-bida) will be transformed until they become monkeys and pigs;
- slaves will conquer the land of their masters; a cry (will come) from the sky (in such a way) that all the people will hear it in their own languages;
- a face and a chest will appear in the sky before the people in the center of the sun;
- the dead will arise from their graves so that they will return to the world and they will recognize one another and visit one another;
- that will come to an end with twenty-four continuous rainstorms and the land will be revived by them after being dead and it will recognize its blessings;
- after that every disease will be taken away from those of the Shia of the Mahdi, peace be on him, who believe in the truth;
at that time they will know of his appearance in Mecca and they will go to him to support him.
(These signs) are as the reports have mentioned. Among the total of these events are some which are bound (to happen) and other which are conditional. God knows best what will take place. We have only mentioned them on the basis of what is recounted in basic sources of tradition (usul) because of their inclusion in traditions which have been handed down. From God we seek help and Him do we ask for success.

The above sets of related traditions, come from the holy sayings of Imam Muhammed Taqi Al-Jawwad (as), and also his pious son Imam Ali Naqi (as)

Why Shia reject the Ahadith narrated by Bibi Ayesha?

Lengthy but very informative

By: Allamah Sayyid 'Abd al-Husayn Sharaf al-Din al-Musawi
Reference: Al-Muraja'at

1) Here lies the fountainhead of the will; here lies the battle-ground of explicit texts; here lies the annihilation of the khums, inheritance, and creed; here lies the cause of sedition; here lies the reason of discord; here lies the root of dissension...[1] While fighting the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (A.S.), Bibi Ayesha toured the lands, leading a huge army in order to usurp his government and put an end to his rule.
What happened has happened; I am no narrator of that; So have good thoughts, and do not ask who, when or what.
To argue in support of denying the will to `Ali using Ayesha’s own statement, the most bitter of his enemies that she was, is an attempt not expected at all from any fair­minded person. And that was not the only incident that demonstrated her animosity towards `Ali (as). Denying the will to `Ali is much less significant than the Lesser Camel Battle[2] and the Greater Camel Battle in which evil intentions surfaced and the curtain removed. Likewise, Bibi Ayesha’s attitude was manifest even before going out to fight him, the man who was her own wali, and her Prophet's wasi, till the news of his death reached her, whereupon she prostrated to thank God (for his martyrdom) and composed these lines:[3] She laid down her rod, happy and pleased, Her heart joyful, her mind eased; As a traveller arrives home, of burdens relieved; Never say `Ayesha, by Ali's death, was grieved.
If you desire, I may quote for you of her hadith what proves to you that she was in remote error. Bibi Ayesha has said: "When the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, became seriously sick, he went out dragging his feet, reclining on two persons; one of them was `Abbas ibn `Abdul­Muttalib and another man."[4] The narrator of this hadith comments adding: "I informed `Abdullah ibn `Abbas about what `Ayesha had said, and he responded to me saying, `Do you know the name of the man whom `Ayesha did not name?' I said: `no.' Ibn `Abbas said: `He was `Ali ibn Abu Talib.'" The narrator continues to say that `Ayesha does not wish `Ali any good.[5]
If she did not wish any good to a man with whom the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, walked, how could she then be expected to feel good about mentioning the will which contains a great deal of good for `Ali? On page 113, Vol. 6, of his Musnad, Imam Ahmed quotes `Ata' ibn Yasar saying: "A man came and spoke ill of both `Ali and `Ammar to `Ayesha who responded by saying, `As regarding `Ali, I have nothing to say to defend him; but concerning `Ammar, I have heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, say that whenever `Ammar had to opt between two options, he always chose the most reasonable of them.'"
Have you noticed that?! The mother of the believers warns about plotting against `Ammar due to the saying of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, "Whenever `Ammar had to opt between two options, he always chose the most reasonable of them," while refraining from warning against plotting to harm `Ali who is the brother and successor of the Prophet, his Aaron and confidant, the most just among his nation, the foremost to believe in his message, the one whose merits are the most...! As if she is not aware of his status in the eyes of Allah, the Exalted and Mighty, or his position in the heart of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, or his status in Islam, his great efforts for its promotion, and his handsome contributions. As if she never heard anything in the Book of Allah nor the Sunnah of His Messenger (pbuh) in his praise, so that she would place him at par with `Ammar!
By Allah, my mind is perplexed when I consider her statement: "I have seen the Prophet (pbuh), while on my chest, ordering a wash-bowl to be brought to him; I hardly noticed how fast he collapsed and died; so, how could he have made a will to `Ali?" I do not know which aspect of her statement I should criticize, being scrutinized as a whole from various angles. I wonder how anyone can presume that since his death took place the way she described, he could not have left a will. Did she think that a will is valid only at the time of death?! No, but it is the excuse of one who is fighting the irrefutable truth, whoever he or she may be, while Allah has said in His Glorious Book, addressing His revered Messenger (pbuh), "It is prescribed unto you when death approaches someone to leave something good, a will (Qur'an, 2:180 and 5:106)." Did the mother of the believers ever see him, peace be upon him and his progeny, going against the instructions of the Book of Allah or ignoring its injunctions? God forbid. She saw him following its guidance, adhering to its verses, rushing to obey its bidding and forbidding, reaching the ultimate end of adherence to all its injunctions. There is no doubt in my mind that she must have heard him saying: "No believer who knows that he is leaving something behind him should sleep even two nights without having his will written,"[6] or something in this meaning, for his instructions regarding the writing of wills have undoubtedly come from him. It does not fit him or any other Prophet, blessings of Allah be upon all of them, to bid something without doing it himself, or forbid something while doing the opposite thereof; Allah is above selecting such individuals for conveying His message.
As regarding what Muslim and others have quoted `Ayesha saying: "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) left neither a dinar nor a dirham, neither a male nor a female camel, nor did he leave any will," it is just like its previous "hadith." Yet it is not correct to assume that what she meant was that he (pbuh) did not leave any will at all, but rather that he did not have possessions which required a will, for, indeed, he did not leave much of this world's wares, the most ascetic person that he was. He joined his Lord, the Exalted and the Sublime, leaving a few outstanding debts,[7] and a few items, in addition to things entrusted to him by other people which required a will [regarding who they belonged to. He also left of his own possessions something that would help defray his debts, and the fulfillment of his promises, with a remnant that required being handed over to his heir. The proof for that is what Fatima al­Zahra', peace be upon her, rightfully demanded of her father's inheritance.[8]
2) The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, left things which demanded a will, things which no other human being ever left. Suffices you that he left the upright religion of Allah, while still at the beginning of its growth and early inception, and that by itself demanded an heir more than did gold or silver, a house or a real estate, lands or cattle. The entire nation became his orphans and widows, seeking refuge with his successor to take his place to fare with them and manage their religious and secular affairs. It is impossible that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, should have entrusted Allah's religion, while still in its cradle, to inclinations and presumptions, or left the protection of its legislation to personal motives and interests, without a successor to look after religious as well as secular affairs, someone upon whom he could rely to represent him before the public. He is above leaving his orphans, who inhabited spacious lands, like frightened cattle in a rainy winter night, without anyone to look after them. He is above abandoning the will especially after having received instructions in its regard from his Lord and thus strongly commanded his nation to do so. Reason does not listen to the claim that no will was made, even if such a claim comes from a highly respected person.
At the dawn of the Islamic era, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, made a will to `Ali (as) even before his mission was publicized in Mecca, immediately following the revelation of the verse saying: "And warn your near kin (26:214)," as we explained in Letter 20. He continued repeating his will time and over again, emphasizing it through many covenants to which we had referred. When he finally wished, while in his last hours, may I sacrifice my parents for his own sake, to write his will to `Ali (as) to emphasize his previous verbal covenants, and to back his previous verbal statements in this regard, he, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Bring me some writing material so that I may write for you something to protect you against straying," but they disputed, while no dispute is permitted in the presence of a Prophet, and said: "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is delirious."[9] It was then that he (pbuh) realized, after they had made such a statement, that no trace would remain of his intended order, if implemented, other than dissension; therefore, he told them to clear his room, feeling satisfied with the verbal covenants which he had made to `Ali (as).
In spite of all this, however, he made three recommendations at the time of his death: that they should select `Ali as his successor; that they should turn the polytheists out of the Arabian peninsula; and that they should reward the envoys in the same way he (pbuh) used to reward them. But the dictates of politics at that time did not permit the traditionists to narrate his first will, claiming that they had forgotten it. Al­Bukhari, at the conclusion of the hadith containing the charge that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was delirious, said verbatim: "And his (pbuh) will at the time of his death contained three instructions: to turn the polytheists out of the Arabian peninsula, to reward the envoys in the same way which he used to reward them..., and the third one was forgotten."[10] This is how Muslim puts it in his Sahih, and so do all other authors of sunan and musnads.
3) The claim of the mothers of believers that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, joined his Lord while being on her chest is opposed by the authenticated tradition stating that he (pbuh) joined the Supreme Companion while being on the chest of his brother and friend (wali) `Ali ibn Abu Talib (as), according to all consecutively reported sahihs from the Imams of the purified progeny which are supported by Sunni sahihs, as is well­known to researchers, Wassalam.

Bibi Ayesha Yielding to Sentiment
1) You have stated, while dealing with the first issue, that it is well­known from the lady's life­style that she does not yield to emotion, and that she does not seek any special interest. Please free your own self from the shackles of convention and sentimentality and carefully and studiously research her method of dealing with those whom she liked, as well as with those whom she did not like, for there you will see sentimentality most manifestly. Do not forget her dealing with `Uthman ibn `Affan by word and deed,[11] her secret and public schemes against `Ali, Fatima, al­Hasan and al­Husayn (as), and her behaviour towards other mothers of the believers; nay, even with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, himself; for in these there is a great deal of manifestations of her sentiments and interest­seeking.
Suffices you for a proof what we, proving how sentimentality tempts some people into misbehaving, have cited regarding the masters of conspiracy and purgery, out of animosity towards Lady Mary [the Copt, consort of the Prophet] and her son Ibrahim, peace be upon him, till Allah, the Almighty and the Exalted One, cleared them of such unjust accusations at the hands of the Commander of the Faithful (as), in a manner that is tangible and clear:[12] "And Allah turned the spiteful disbelievers back empty­handed (Qur'an, 33:25)." If you desire, I may recount more proofs and state the fact that, following her own sentiments, she once said to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, "It seems as if you reek of the odor of maghafir [odorous tiny flowers],"[13] so that he might not taste some honey at the house of the mother of believers Zainab bint Jahsh, may Allah be pleased with her. If a trivial reason like this permits her to address the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, in such a manner, how can she be relied upon when she denies that he (pbuh) left a will for `Ali (as)? Do not also forget her yielding to sentiment when Asma' bint al­Nu`man was wedded to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny. She said to her: "When the Prophet (pbuh) weds a woman, he likes to hear her say: `I seek refuge with Allah against you,'"[14] aiming thereby to turn the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, against his wedding altogether and make him hate the poor woman, as if she allowed herself to attribute statements to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, as long as such statements served her own purpose, even when her purpose was petty or prohibitive. Once he, peace be upon him and his progeny, asked her to see how a particular woman was doing, and she informed him of the opposite of what she had observed, seeking her own self­interest.[15] Once she complained about him, peace be upon him and his progeny, to her father, succumbing again to her sentiments, saying, "Do not now be biased,"[16] whereupon her father slapped her so hard that her clothes became soaked with her blood. Once, having felt angry with him (pbuh), she said: "... and you claim to be Allah's Messenger...,"[17] in addition to many such incidents the narrative of which would require a much larger space, and what we have quoted here must suffice.
2) You have said, while commenting on the second point, that Sunnis do not subscribe to what is called rationally pleasant or unpleasant, etc. I think of you as being above making such a statement which is reminiscent of sophists who deny even concrete facts. Among our deeds are those of whose goodness we are quite sure, and they are praiseworthy and rewardable due to their own merits, such as charity and fairness, since we know what they are, while there are others with whose ugliness we also are familiar, and they demand repudiation and punishment because of their own evil, such as injustice and aggression, since they are what they are. The wise know that there is a need that necessitates such judgments, and the wise are as certain regarding these matters as they are certain that the single is half the pair. Simple common sense always determines the distinction between your treatment of someone who is good to you and of someone who is not. Reason determines the goodness of the first person's treatment to you and its being praiseworthy by you, as well as the ugliness of the second and its being worthy of renunciation and punishment. Whoever doubts this is a rebel against his own reason.
Had the goodness or the evil of what we have mentioned here been matters of the legislative code, then they would not have been adopted and implemented by those who denied all divine codes such as atheists and secular rulers. In spite of their denial of religion, the latter still condone equity and goodness, determining thereupon their praise and rewards, without doubting at all the ugliness of injustice or aggression, nor the necessity to denounce such deeds and to punish their doers. Their criterion in their judgment is nothing other than reason; so, talk no more about those who belittle reason and conscience, nor of those who deny what all wise men know, ruling in the contrary of what the human nature dictates, the nature which Allah, the Praised One, has created and embedded within His servants. He has enabled them thereby to realize facts that are discernable by their faculty of reason, just as He made them able to recognize matters through their senses and feelings. Their nature, then, demands that they should be able to rationally judge equity and the like as good, and injustice and its peers as ugly, just as being able to distinguish through the sense of taste between the sweetness of honey and the bitterness of colocynth [citrullus colocynthis], and through their sense of smell can they distinguish between the fragrance of musk [chenopodium botrys] and the stink of cadaver, and through their sense of touch can they distinguish between what is soft and what is rough, and through their faculty of seeing can they tell the difference between a pleasant and an ugly view, and through their faculty of hearing can they tell the difference between the music of the pipe and the braying of a donkey. Such is the nature which Allah has created: "He created people in such a way; indeed, there is no way anyone can change His creation; this is the straight religion, though most people do not know (30:30)."
The Ash`aris desired to exaggerate the power of faith in the legislative system and the attitude towards a total submission to its judgment; therefore, they denied the judgment of the wise, saying that there is no judgment other than what is legislated. Thus did they become oblivious of the absolute rational theory stating that "Whatever a wise person decides should be the decision of the legislator," and heedless of the fact that they by doing so in fact left no excuse for their own selves, thus discarding any criterion whereby they might ascertain a legislative code or discard it altogether. This is so due to the fact that to arrive at such a conclusion through legislative proofs is like running in a circle, and no pretext can be applied therewith. Had there been no authority for reason, implementing tradition or consecutively reported hadith would have been rejected. Nay! Had there been no intellect, nobody would have worshipped Allah nor come to know Him. Expounding in this subject has been recorded in a library containing works of our renown scholars.
3) As regarding the claim of the mother of the believers that the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, died on her chest, it is a claim which we reject based upon sahihs sequentially reported by members of the purified progeny (as). Refer to what others have stated as quoted by Ibn Sa`d. He quotes `Ali (as) saying: "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, during his ailment [preceding his demise], said: `Fetch me my brother,' so I came to him and he asked me to come closer, and so did I; thereupon, he reclined on me. He continued reclining on me thus and talking to me, so much so that some of his saliva fell on me, then the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, breathed his last;" as stated on page 51, Part Two, Vol. 2, of the author's Tabaqat, in a section about those who said that the Messenger of Allah died in `Ali's lap. It is hadith number 1107 on page 55, Vol. 4, of Kanz al-`Ummal. Abu Na`im in his Hilyat al-Awliya', Abu Ahmed al­Fardi in his Naskh, and many other authors of books of traditions have all quoted `Ali (as) saying: "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, taught me," meaning during that sickness, "a thousand doors each one of which leads to a thousand others." It is hadith number 6009 quoted at the end of page 392, Vol. 6, of Kanz al-`Ummal. Whenever `Umer ibn al­Khattab was asked about anything regarding these matters, he would say nothing other than: "Ask `Ali, since he is the one who can handle it."
Jabir ibn `Abdullah al­Ansari is quoted saying that Ka`b al­Ahbar once asked `Umer: "What were the last words of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny?" `Umer answered: "Ask `Ali." Ka`b did so, and `Ali (as) said: "I let the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, recline his head on my flanks till he finally uttered: `Prayers! [i.e. uphold prayers] Prayers!" Ka`b said: "This, indeed, is the call of all prophets, and for this purpose are they sent." Then Ka`b asked `Umer who gave the ceremonial funeral bath to the Prophet's corpse, and his answer was again: "Ask `Ali." When Ka`b asked `Ali (as), `Ali answered that it was he who did so, as stated by Ibn Sa`d on page 51, Part Two, Vol. 2, of Tabaqat, and it is hadith 1106 in Kanz al-`Ummal quoted on page 55, Vol. 4. Ibn `Abbas was asked once: "Have you seen when the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, died, if his head was on anyone's lap?" He answered: "He died reclining on `Ali's chest." It was said to him that `Urwah narrates a tradition from `Ayesha saying that he (pbuh) died reclining on her chest, and Ibn `Abbas denied it, asking the person who put the question forth: "Do you believe it?! By Allah, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, died reclining his head on `Ali's chest, and Ali is the one who gave him his bath," as quoted by Ibn Sa`d on the same page mentioned above, and it is hadith number 1108 of the ones enumerated in Kanz al-`Ummal, page 55, Vol. 4. Ibn Sa`d cites Imam Abu Muhammad `Ali ibn al­Husayn Zainul­`Abidin (as) saying: "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, breathed his last while his head was in `Ali's lap," as quoted by Ibn Sa`d on page 51.
Traditions documenting this subject are consecutively reported from all Imams of the purified progeny (as). Many of those who opted to deviate from their path admit that, too, so much so that Ibn Sa`d has quoted al­Sha`bi saying: "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, passed away while his head was in `Ali's lap; and it was `Ali who gave him his [funeral] bath," as mentioned on the page referred to above in Al­Tabaqat. The Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, used to declare the same publicly; therefore, you may refer to his statement in one of his sermons where he says: "Custodians of the hadith among the companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, know very well that I never hesitated to implement the commandments of Allah, nor lagged in discharging the orders of His Messenger, not even for one hour. I, by the Grace of Allah, on many occasions risked my own life defending his, when even heroes retreated and feet slowed down, and he (pbuh) breathed his last while his head rested on my chest, and even his saliva fell on my hand, whereupon I rubbed it on my face. I took care of washing his corpse, the angels assisting me, and the house and its courtyards became full of the noise of angels descending and ascending..., and I never ceased hearing their prayers unto him, till we buried him; so, who is more worthy of him alive or dead than I?" as stated at the conclusion of page 196, Vol. 2, of Nahjul Balaghah, and on page 590, Vol. 2, of Ibn al­Hadid's Sharh Nahjul Balaghah.
So is his soliloquy when he, peace be upon him, was burying the Mistress of all Women, peace be upon her. He said: "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah, from me and from your daughter who has come now to be your neighbour, rushing to reunite with you... My patience, O Messenger of Allah, about the death of your chosen one has run out, and my consolation has waned and withered. Deep, indeed, is my grief for being separated from you, and great is the calamity, while the extent of your grief is a source for consolation, for I laid you to sleep in the tomb of your grave, after your soul had parted from your body that was resting on my chest; therefore, we are God's, and unto Him is our return," up to the end of his statement which is stated at the end of page 207, Vol. 2, of Nahjul Balaghah, and on page 590, Vol. 2, of Sharh Nahjul Balaghah by Ibn Abul Hadid.
Umm Salamah has also narrated an authentic hadith saying: "By the One by Whom alone do I swear, `Ali was the closest to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) upon his death. We [she and Ali] visited him one afternoon, and he happily and repeatedly said: `Ali has come! `Ali has come!' Fatima (as) inquired whether `Ali had been sent on an errand. Later on, `Ali came again, and I thought that probably he needed to have some privacy with the Prophet (pbuh); so, we came out and sat at the door. I was closer to the door. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) bent his head over `Ali and started talking to him confidentially, addressing him affectionately, till he passed away; so, `Ali was the last person to be with him before his death."[18]
Abdullah ibn `Umer narrates the following: "During his sickness, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, asked that his brother be fetched; so, Abu Bakr came in, but he turned away from him and reiterated his request. This time `Uthman was brought in, but he turned away from him, too. Then `Ali was called in his presence. The Prophet (pbuh) covered him with his own robe and reclined on him. When he came out of his room, people asked him what the Prophet (pbuh) had said, and he answered: `He taught me a thousand subjects each one of which leads to a thousand others.'"[19]
You know that this hadith portrays a behaviour typical of prophets, while the other one portrays a man ruled by his lust. If a shepherd dies on his wife's chest, between her chin and navel, or on her thigh..., having laxed in looking after his herd, he would surely be labelled as wreckless and irresponsible. May Allah forgive the mother of the believers. I wish that she, while denying `Ali such a will, had attributed the denial to her father, whom she thinks is more worthy of such a will, but her father was already in the army raised by the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, under his own honourable patronage; he was in Usamah's army which was then camping at Jurf. Anyhow, the claim that he (pbuh) died in her lap is attributed to nobody other than `Ayesha, whereas the claim of his demise, may I sacrifice my parents for his sake, is narrated through `Ali (as), Ibn `Abbas, Umm Salamah, `Abdullah ibn `Umer, al­Sha`bi, `Ali ibn al­Husayn (as), and all Imams of the progeny of Muhammad (as), thus making it more reliable and more fit of the personality of the Messenger of God (pbuh).
4) Had `Ayesha's hadith been disproved by Umm Salamah alone, the latter's hadith would have been preferred over hers for many reasons besides the ones mentioned above, Wassalam.

References:
[1] This agrees with Sunni books of traditions; so, refer to al-Bukhari's Sahih, his chapter on the households of the Prophet's wives, his treatise on holy wars and traditions, page 125, Vol. 2, and you will find the details.
[2] The dissension of the Lesser Camel Battle took place in Basra five days before the end of Rabi`ul-Thani, 36 A.H., before the arrival of the Commander of the Faithful (as) there, when the city was attacked by the mother of believers [`Ayesha] accompanied by Talhah and al-Zubayr. `Ali's governor of Basra then was `Uthman ibn Hanif al-Ansari. Forty supporters of `Ali (as) were killed at its mosque, and seventy others elsewhere. `Uthman ibn Hanif, who was one of the most respectful sahabah, was taken captive, and his captors wanted to kill him but feared revenge from his brother Suhayl and the rest of the Ansar; so, they shaved his beard, moustache, eyebrows, and head; they beat him, imprisoned him, then they expelled him from Basra. They were fought by Hakim ibn Jablah, with a group of his tribe `Abd Qays, of whom he was chief. Hakim was a man of wisdom, discretion, and prestige, and he was followed by a group of Banu Rabi`a who refused to cease fighting till each and every one of them was martyrded, including Hakim, in addition to his most honourable son, his brave brother, and Basra fell in the hands of the invading army. When `Ali (as) came, he had to face `Ayesha's army, and so did the Greater Camel Battle take place. The details of both battles are preserved in books of history written by Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Athir, and in many others.
[3] As quoted by trustworthy chroniclers such as Abul-Faraj al-Asfahani at the conclusion of his discussion of `Ali in his book Maqatil al-Talibiyyin.
[4] As quoted by al-Bukhari about her in his section on the Prophet's (pbuh) sickness and demise, page 62, Vol. 3, of his Sahih.
[5] This statement in particular, i.e. Ibn `Abbas saying that `Ayesha does not wish him any good, is left out by al-Bukhari who stops his quotation at its preceding statements, following his customary habit in such situations, but many authors of books of tradition have quoted it through their authentic reporters. Consider what Ibn Sa`d records on page 29, Section Two, Vol. 2, of his Tabaqat, where he cites a chain of narrators including Ahmed ibn al-Hajjaj, `Abdullah ibn Mubarak, Younus, Mu`ammar, al-Zuhri, `Ubaydullah ibn Atbah ibn Mas`ud, whose sources end with Ibn `Abbas. Reporters of this hadith are considered trustworthy according to the consensus of scholars.
[6] As quoted by al-Bukhari at the beginning of his treatise on wills in his Sahih, page 83, Vol. 2. It is also quoted by Muslim in his section on the record of the [Prophet's] will, page 10, Vol. 2, of his Sahih.
[7] Mu`ammar quotes Qatadah saying that `Ali (as) had taken care, on behalf of the Prophet (pbuh), of certain matters after his demise, most of which was a debt estimated at five hundred thousand dirhams; so, refer to this hadith on page 60, Vol. 4, of Kanz al-`Ummal, and it is hadith number 1170 among the ones which he narrates.
[8] As quoted by al-Bukhari at the and of his chapter on Khaybar's campaign in his Sahih, page 37, Vol. 2.
[9] This is quoted verbatim by Muhammad ibn Isma`il al-Bukhari in his section on generosity towards envoys in his book Al-Jihad wal-Siyar, page 118, Vol. 2, of his Sahih.
[10] Refer to it in the chapter dealing with rewarding the emissaries on page 118, Vol. 2, of Al-Jihad wal-Siyar.
[11] Refer to page 77, Vol. 2, of Sharh Nahjul Balaghah by the Mu`tazilite scholar, and pages 457 and its succeeding pages of the same volume, and you will find her conduct towards `Uthman, `Ali and Fatima depicting sentimentality in its most manifest forms.
[12] Whoever wishes to be familiar with the details of this calamity must research the biography of Lady Mary [or Mariyya, the Copt, wife of the Prophet, pbuh], peace be upon her, on page 39, Vol. 4, of al-Hakim's Al-Mustadrak, or to his Talkhis by al-Thahbi.
[13] From what al-Bukhari has quoted in his explanation of Surat al-Tahrim in his Sahih, page 136, Vol. 3; so, refer to it and be amazed. There are several ahadith quoted from `Umer stating that the two women who conspired against the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) were `Ayesha and Hafsa. There is a lengthy hadith dealing with this issue.
[14] As quoted by al-Hakim in his biography of Asma' in his Sahih Al-Mustadrak, page 37, Vol. 4, and is quoted by Ibn Sa`d who discusses her biography on page 104, Vol. 8, of his Tabaqat, and the incident is very well known. It is narrated in the biography of Asma' by both authors of Isti`ab and Al-Isabah, and it is quoted by Ibn Jarir and others.
[15] The details of this incident are preserved in the books of traditions and history; so, refer to page 294, Vol. 6, of Kanz al-`Ummal, or page 115, Vol. 8, of Ibn Sa`d's Tabaqat, where he also states the biography of Sharaf daughter of Khalifah.
[16] This issue is quoted by the authors of books of tradition and history; so, refer to hadith number 1020 of the ones narrated in Kanz al-`Ummal, page 116, Vol. 7, and it is quoted by al-Ghazali in the third section of his treatise on marriage on page 35, Vol. 2, of Ihya'ul-`Ulum. It is also quoted in section 94 of his book Mukashafatul Qulub, at the conclusion of page 238.
[17] As quoted by al-Ghazali in both sections of the books cited above.
[18] This hadith is quoted by al-Hakim at the beginning of page 139, Vol. 3, of his authentic Al-Mustadrak, succeeded by his comment: "This hadith is authentic, but they [Bukhari and Muslim] did not publish it." Al-Thahbi, too, has admitted its authenticity when he quoted it in his Talkhis al-Mustadrak. It is also quoted by Ibn Abu Shaybah in his Sunan, and it is hadith number 6096, page 400, Vol. 6, in Kanz al-`Ummal.
[19] This is quoted by Abu Ya`li through a chain of narrators including Kamil ibn Talha, Ibn Lahi`ah, Hay ibn `Abdul-Maghafiri, Abu `Abdul-Rahman al-Habli, ending with `Abdullah ibn `Umer. It is quoted by Abu Na`im in his Hilyat al-Awliya', by Abu Ahmed al-Fardi in his own version as stated on page 392, Vol. 6, of Kanz al-`Ummal. Al-Tabrani, in his book Al-Tafsir al-Kabir, has stated that when the Ta'if campaign was underway, the Prophet (pbuh) took his time in confiding with `Ali, so much so that when Abu Bakr passed by them, he said: "O Messenger of Allah! Your confidential talk with `Ali has lasted for quite some time." He (pbuh) said: "It is not I who has confided in him; it is Allah..." This is hadith number 6075, page 399, Vol. 6, of Kanz al-`Ummal. He often used to sit with `Ali (as) and confide in him. Once `Ayesha entered and found them engaged in a confidential conversation. Said she: "O `Ali! I spend one day out of nine [in the company of my husband]; so, why don't you, son of Abu Talib, leave me alone on that day?" The Prophet's face immediately showed the redness of anger. Refer to this incident at the beginning of page 78, Vol. 2, of Sharh Nahjul Balaghah by al-Hamidi.