The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) and Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) were seated together when al-Hussain ibn Ali (peace be upon him) entered upon them. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) embraced him, seated him on his lap, and kissed his forehead and lips. At that time, Imam al-Hussain (peace be upon him) was six years old.
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) said, “O Messenger of God, do you love my son al-Hussain?”
The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) replied, “How could I not love him, when he is a part of me?”
Imam Ali (peace be upon him) then asked, “O Messenger of God, which of us is dearer to you, me or al-Hussain?”
At this point, Imam al-Hussain (peace be upon him) said, “My father, the one whose honor is higher is more beloved to the Prophet and closer to him in rank.”
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) said to his son, “Are you boasting before me, O Hussain?”
Imam al-Hussain (peace be upon him) replied, “Yes, my father, if you permit.”
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) then said:
“O Hussain, I am the Commander of the Faithful, the tongue of the truthful, the supporter and helper of Muhammad al-Mustafa, the treasurer of God’s knowledge, and His chosen one among creation. I lead the righteous to Paradise. I am the one who fulfilled the debts and obligations of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family).
My uncle is Hamzah, the master of martyrs, whose abode is the highest Paradise, and my brother is Jafar al-Tayyar, who flies with the angels in Paradise.
I am the judge appointed by the Messenger. I am his standard-bearer. I was entrusted by God to convey the verses of Surat al-Baraah to the people of Makkah. I am the one whom God, exalted and majestic, chose from among His creation. I am the firm Rope of God, concerning which He commanded His servants: ‘Hold fast, all together, to the Rope of God.’
I am the radiant star of God. I am the one visited by the angels of the heavens. I am the speaking tongue of my Lord and His proof over His servants. I am the mighty Hand of God, His manifest Countenance, and His evident Authority.
I am the one concerning whom God, exalted be He, said: ‘Rather, they are honored servants who do not precede Him in speech and act by His command.’
lass=”yoast-text-mark” />>I am the unbreakable firm handle of God. I am the Gate of God through which one must enter. I am the banner of God upon the Path. I am the House of God—whoever enters it is secure, and whoever clings to my guardianship and love is saved from the Fire.
I am the slayer of the oath-breakers at Jamal, the oppressors at Siffin, and the deviants at Nahrawan. I am the killer of the unbelievers. I am the father of orphans and the refuge of widows.
I am the one about whose guardianship people will be questioned on the Day of Resurrection. I am the ‘blessing’ referred to in the verse: ‘Then you will surely be questioned that Day about the blessing.’
Through me, God perfected the religion and completed His favor, as He declared: ‘Today I have perfected for you your religion…’
Whoever loves me is a true Muslim and a believer whose faith is complete. Through me you were guided. Concerning me and my enemy, God said: ‘Stop them, for they are to be questioned’—that is, about my guardianship.
I am the one about whom the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: ‘For whomever I am master, Ali is his master.’
>I am the soul of the believer’s prayer and the meaning of ‘Come to prayer,’ ‘Come to success,’ and ‘Come to the best of deeds.’
I fought the unbelievers at Badr and Hunayn wars, struck down the armored warriors at Uhud war, killed Amr ibn Abd Wudd at Khandaq war and Marhab at Khaybar war. Gabriel proclaimed concerning me: ‘There is no sword but Dhu al-Fiqar and no youth but Ali.’
I shattered idols at the conquest of Makkah, ascended upon the shoulders of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), and cast them down. I gave my ring in charity, slept in the Prophet’s bed to protect him, and became the divider of Paradise and Hell.”
At this point, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) fell silent. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) then said to Imam al-Hussain (peace be upon him):
“O Aba ‘Abdillah, did you hear what your father said? What he mentioned is not even a tenth of a tenth of his virtues; rather, his rank is higher than all of this.”
Imam al-Hussain (peace be upon him) replied:
“All praise belongs to God who favored us above many of His believing servants and above all creation, who distinguished our grandfather with revelation and its interpretation, and raised us above all beings.”
He then said:
“As for what you have mentioned, O Commander of the Faithful, you are truthful and trustworthy.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said, “Now, my son, mention your own virtues.”
Imam al-Hussain (peace be upon him) said:
“My father, I am al-Hussain ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib. My mother is Fatimah al-Zahra, the mistress of the women of the worlds, and my grandfather is Muhammad al-Mustafa (peace be upon him and his family), the master of all the children of Adam.
O Ali, my father and mother are superior to yours in the sight of God and all people, and my grandfather is greater and more exalted before God and all people. Yet you are superior to me in rank before God, while I take pride in my noble lineage.”
The narrator relates that Imam al-Hussain (peace be upon him) then embraced his father and kissed him. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) embraced his son in return and said:
“May God increase you in honor, dignity, knowledge, and forbearance, O Aba ‘Abdillah, and may He curse those who wrong you.”
