Saturday, March 31st, 2018 marks the birth anniversary of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (p),…
Birth Anniversary of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (p), 1447 A.H.
The 13th of Rajab, 1447 A.H. marks the birth anniversary of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (p)
Imam Ali (p): The Name Spoken in the Earliest Light of Creation
Among the countless virtues narrated about Imam Ali (p), few are as awe-inspiring as this report from Imam al-Sadiq (p), “Indeed, we are the first household whom God called us by our names. When God created the heavens and the Earth, He commanded a caller to announce, ‘I bear witness that there is no god but God’ three times, ‘I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God’ three times, and ‘I bear witness that Ali is truthfully the Commander of the Faithful,’ three times” [Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 37, p. 295].
This narration does more than praise Imam Ali (p) as it takes us back to the very beginning of existence. Before human history began, before prophets walked the earth, before mountains rose or oceans formed, God proclaimed three sacred truths: His oneness, the Prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh&hp), and the divine appointment of Imam Ali (p).
A Name Rooted in the Foundations of Faith
The hadith reveals that Imam Ali’s status is not merely historical, but it is cosmic. His role as Amir al-Mu’minin, the Commander of the Faithful, was not assigned in reaction to events of this world. It was inscribed into the blueprint of creation itself.
Just as the oneness of God is eternal and unchanging, and the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh&hp) is central to divine guidance, the wilayah of Imam Ali (p) is woven into the very purpose of existence. His name was among the first truths announced, a declaration that leadership, justice, and spiritual authority after the Prophet were never left to chance.
A Birth That Mirrors a Heavenly Reality
On the 13th of Rajab, Imam Ali (p) entered this world in the most miraculous way, born inside the Holy Kaaba. But long before that sacred moment in Mecca, his name had already been honored in the heavens. His birth anniversary reminds us that his presence on earth was a continuation of a divine reality that predated human time. For believers, this means that loving Imam Ali (p) is not merely an emotional or cultural attachment, but it is an alignment with a truth proclaimed at the dawn of creation.
A Call to Renew Our Allegiance
The repetition in the hadith, each testimony spoken three times, echoes a message for us today: remembrance shapes identity. Just as the first caller proclaimed the truth with conviction, we too are invited to carry these truths in our hearts and actions.
Celebrating Imam Ali’s birth is not only about honoring his legacy, but about renewing the qualities he embodied: courage, justice, compassion, humility, and faith in God.
It is a reminder that every time we stand for truth, defend the oppressed, or speak with integrity, we walk a little closer in the footsteps of the one whose name was announced alongside the most foundational declarations of faith.
For more information on Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (p), click here.
(Click here to learn about varying dates for Islamic events.)
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