The Life of Imam Ali (a.s) > The Commander of The Faithful at a quick glance

On Thursday night, the Moslems finish the night prayers. They sit down in lines. They implore Allah, the Merciful Creator, to forgive them their sins. They ask him to be pleased with them.

Sweet words flow out of the mosque minarets. The words fly high in the clear sky full of stars:

He was Kumail bin Zyyad al-Nakhay. He was one of Imam Ali's companions. He was a noble man. His people obeyed him. He came from Yaman. His family inhabited Cufa during Imam Ali's Caliphate.

Abid al-Rahman bin al-Ashath led a revolution against alHajjaj. Kumail joined the revolution. He led the Koran Readers' Bbattalion.

Imam Ali (a.s) was a great scholar. He said: Allah's Apostle has learned me a thousand doors of knowledge. Each door leads to a thousand doors.

So, Imam Ali (a.s) taught his companions whatever they wanted. One day, he took Kumail with him outside Cufa. It was night. The sky was full of stars. Northern fresh breeze was blowing.

Imam Ali (a.s) said to his companion: Kumail, these hearts containers (of knowledge). The best of them are those best preserve the knowledge. Therefore, preserve what l say to you:

There are three classes of people. The first class knows Allah. The second learns knowledge as means of salvation. And the third is rabble; followers of every crower who bend with every breeze. These men do not seek to be illuminated by the light of learning, nor do they resort to any authority.

Kumail, knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge guards you while you guard wealth. Wealth is diminished by expenditure while knowledge is increased even by giving it away.

Kumail those who amass wealth die even as they live while those who have knowledge will continue to exit for as long as time lasts.

Imam Ali (a.s) was sitting with a group of his companions. One of them asked him about the explanation of the following Holy Verse:

Then he added: By Allah, man faces his fate on Shaban 15th. So, man must implore Allah at such a night He must read Al-Khidr's supplication. Certainly Allah accepts it.

The evening came. Then it got dark. People went to bed. At that hour, Kumail got up. He went to Imam Ali's house. He had a question.

The Imam began reading the supplication. Kumail was writing it. Nowadays, millions of Moslems read the supplication. They call it Kumail's supplication.

Thursday night, when you are free, then read Kumail's supplication. Faith will shine in your heart. It will illuminate the way of your life as it had illuminated the way of Kumail's life.

Imam Ali (a.s) passed away. Maawyyah became a Caliph. Unjust rulers succeeded him. Cufa lived unbearable life.

Ziyyad bin Abeeh ruled Cufa. Then his son Ubaidullah succeeded him. The latter killed the Prophet's grandson. Besides he killed seventy of his companions and his family.

Al-Hajjaj did his best to please the Umayyad rulers. He filled his prison - with innocent men and- women. In his prison, there were fifty thousand men and thirty thousand women.

The prison was roofless. The prisoners were subjected and coldness in winter. In summer their faces became as black as Negroes.

A person had been in prison for months. One day his mother went to the prison to visit him. She was astonished to see him. She said:

The young man reminded his mother of some marks. The mother became certain of her son. She burst into tears. Then she died of sadness.

Al-Hajjaj hated Ahlul-Bait and their followers very much. So, he filled the prisons with Shias. They had no quilt but they loved Muhammad's family.

Al-Hajjaj was unjust. People hated him. They asked Abid al-Malik to remove him from office. Abid al-Malik refused because al-Hajjaj wanted to strengthen the Umayyad rule with fire and sword.

Al-Hajjaj was wicked. He sent people to fight and occupy lands. He forced them to join the invading armies. He wanted them to get the booty of the conquered lands. In the meantime, he wanted to get rid of them.

King Ratbil ruled Turkey. Al-Hajjaj sent Abid al-Rahman bin al-Ashath to Turkey to invade it. Abid al-Rahman went deeply into the Turkish lands. He won viCtories at some battles. So, he sent al-Hajjaj a letter. In - the letter he asked him to stop fighting to refresh his fighters.

Al-Hajjaj's answer was full of abuses. Meanwhile, he ordered Abid - al-Rahman to go deeper into the Turkish lands.

Abid al-Rahman and his fighters knew al-Hajjaj's wicked aims. So, they decided to revolt against al-Hajjaj and Abid al-Malik.

After Abid al-Rahman had announced the revolution, he came back from Turkey. Many people supported him. The Koran readers were the first to support him.

Because the Cufians suffered from persecution, they also supported the revolution.

The number of the revolutionaries was over one hundred people. This number included the Koran readers, worshipers, poets, religious jurists, and the common. Half the number were foreigners. They suffered from racial discrimination. The Umayyads preferred Arabs to non- Arabs.

Saeed bin Jubair, the most famous jurist, was among the revolutionaries. He made the people eager to start the revolution.

In 81 A.H., Abid al-Rahman advanced towards Iraq. Violent fights took place there. The revolutionaries defeated ai-Hajjaj's army. They freed many cities such as Sajestan and Kirman (in Iran), Basrah and Cufa (In Iraq).

Abid al-Malik sent a man to Abid al-Rahman to hold talks with him. He accepted some conditions such as removing al-Hajjaj -from office.

People rejoiced at freedom and victory. So, they insisted on removing Abid al-Malik from the office, for he appointed al-Hajjaj ruler over them.

Abid al-Malik sent military supplies to support al-Hajjaj. The army in Khurasan joined him, too.

The two armies met at Deer al-Jamajum. A violent fight took place between the two sides. Al-Hajjaj defeated Abid al-Rahman.

Abid al-Rahman's army scattered. Some fighters escaped. Some passed away. Abid al-Rahman himself took refuge in Turkey. Some revolutionaries such as Saeed bin Jubair and Kumail bin Ziyyad disappeared.

Al-Hajjaj began looking for the revolutionaries. He executed some of them. And some were afraid of him.

Al-Hajjaj used a new way to arrest Kumail. He ordered the police to annoy Kumail's followers. He deprived them of money. So, their economic condition was bad. Kumail heard about that. Thus, he decided to surrender. The police took him to al-Hajjaj.

Kumail bravely walked with the police. In the meantime, he recalled the beautiful days with his teacher and leader Imam Ali (a.s).

Kumail remembered the days when he was a soldier in the Imam's Army. He remembered his fights against the disloyal, the unjust, and the apostates.

Kumail remembered the day when he led an army of four hundred fighters to face a raid by Maawyyah's Army.

Kumail remembered the day when he chased the invaders in Kirkeesya. He remembered the Imam's scolding letter because he left the borders of his country without soldiers.

The Imam's letter read as follows: Certainly you have deeply gone into Kirkeesya. And you have left the positions without protection. The idea is incorrect you have become a bridge for your enemies to attack your friends.

Kumail believed in Allah and the hereafter. He loved all people. He loved his family and his tribe.

Al-Hajjaj mistreated Kumail's family and tribe. So, Kumail surrendered to save them from persecution.

Kumail remembered Imam Ali's words: Kumail, order your family to do good. Order them to help people at night.

Kumail came into al-Hajjaj's palace. He saw al-Hajjaj sitting and his guards standing around him. He saw a headsman carrying a sword.

Kumail - new that al-Hajjaj would kill him, for Imam Ali (a.s) had told him about that.

Paying no attention to al-Hajjaj, Kumail said: My master Imam Ali (a.s) has told me that you will kill me. Allah's enemy do whatever you like! And know that the Judgment Day will be after killing.

Nowadays, the visitor sees Kumail shrine on a hill at Wadi al-Salam in Holy Najaf. Sweet perfume spread in Kumail shrine.

On Thursday nights, sweet words fly high in the sky full of stats. The words remind people of that great martyr whose name has connected with the supplication. So, his name will be immortal.

Source - The companions of the Prophet and their Followers series: Kumail ibn Ziyyad. By Kamal al-Sayyid.