Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

'Ali ibn Abi Trilib 11 7
would refuse? He said: "The one who obeys me will enter paradise,
and the one who disobeys me has refused."204 Obedience to the
Messenger (g) means following his Sunnah and rejecting the words
of anyone who says something about the religion of Allah (B) that
goes against the Sunnah, without using trickery to justify
overlooking the Sunnah by means of flawed arguments and baseless
innovations.205
Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) was one of the keenest of the
Companions to obey the Messenger of Allah (g). He (&) said: "I
would not forsake the Sunnah of the.Prophet (g) for the opinion of
anyone."206 He also said: "I am not a prophet, and I do not receive
revelation, but I act in accordance with the Book of Allah (%) and
the Sunnah of M&ammad (g) as much as I can." This is a unique
example of adherence to the Sunnah and following and promoting
itzo7 It is on the basis of this understanding and clear vision of the
importance of obeying the Messenger (g) and following his Sunnah
that the actions of Amir d-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) were based. He paid
a great deal of attention to the Sunnah and &ed to make sure that
what he narrated and what he followed of the Sunnah was sound and
correct. He (&) said: "If I narrate something to you from the
Messenger of Allah (g), then to fall from heaven would be dearer to
me than to tell lies about him."z08 He also said: "If I heard a
statement from the Messenger of Allah (g), Allah (&)benefited me
by it as much as He willed. If someone else told me of it, I would ask
him to swear (that he heard it from the Prophet), and if he swore, I
would believe him."209
Amir d-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) fought any idea that was
contrary to the concept of following the Sunnah. He said: "If
religious matters were based on personal opinions, then it would be
more appropriate to wipe the bottom of the khuf~"~ than the top."