One of Imam Ali’s (peace be upon him) distinctive qualities was his awareness of the conditions of his time—his knowledge of what had passed and what was yet to come. The following narrations and traditions highlight the depth of the Imam’s knowledge and insight.
Imam Ali (peace be upon him) was knowledgeable of Divine Unity, of the noble Quran and its verses, of the conditions of the angels and prophets (peace be upon them) and their missions, as well as of the realities of the hereafter. In addition, he was fully aware of opinions, disputes, and controversies among people. The following noble sayings illustrate his lofty position:
- The Messenger of God, prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) stated: “I am the city of knowledge, and Ali is its gate.” [1]
- The Messenger of God, prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) stated: “I am the scale of knowledge, and Ali is its two pans.” [2]
- The Messenger of God, prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) stated: “Ali is the gate of knowledge, and for my community after me, he is the explainer of all that I was sent with.” [3]
- In al-Qurtubi’s commentary, it is narrated from Abdullah ibn ‘Ata that he said: “I said to Abu Jafar ibn Ali ibn Hussain ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon them): they claim that the one who possessed the knowledge of the Book was Abdullah ibn Salam. He replied: ‘Rather, it was Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).’” [4]
- In Shawahid al-Tanzil by al-Hakim al-Hasakani, it is narrated from Ibn Abbas concerning the verse of God Almighty: “Is he who is upon a clear proof from his Lord…” [5], and about His words: “…and a witness from Him follows him” [6]—that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: “That witness is Ali ibn Abi Talib.” [7]
A Unique Tradition on Imam Ali’s Knowledge of People’s Eternal Destinies
The author of Tadhkirat al-Khawass narrates from Zadan: “I heard Imam Ali (peace be upon him) say: ‘By the One Who split the seed and created all beings, if authority were placed in my hands, I would judge among the people of the Torah by their Torah, among the people of the Gospel by their Gospel, among the people of the Psalms by their Psalms, and among the people of the Quran by their Quran. And by the One in Whose hand is my soul, there is no man from Quraysh who faces affliction except that I know upon which verse he shall enter Paradise or fall into the Fire.’”
At that moment, a man asked him: “O Commander of the Faithful, which verse was revealed concerning you?” The Imam Ali (peace be upon him) replied: “Is he who is upon a clear proof from his Lord, and a witness from Him follows him?” The Messenger of God is the proof, and I am his witness.
The Words of Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) on Imam Ali’s Knowledge
Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) stated: “Indeed, God, Blessed and Exalted, said to Moses (peace be upon him): ‘And We wrote for him on the Tablets [something] of all things, admonition and detailed explanation for everything’—but He did not say ‘all admonitions.’ And He said to Jesus (peace be upon him): ‘That I may make clear to you some of that over which you differ’—but He did not say ‘everything.’
But concerning Imam Ali, the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), He said: ‘Say: God is sufficient as a witness between me and you, and [so is] the one who possesses the knowledge of the Book’. And God Almighty also said: ‘There is nothing fresh or dry but that it is written in a clear Book. And He said: ‘We have enumerated everything in a clear Imam. And the knowledge of this Book is with Imam Ali (peace be upon him).”
