Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

342 The oath of allegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way of life
*:* A man came to Ibn 'Umar and asked him about 'Uthm2n
(&). He mentioned his good deeds and said: "Perhaps
that bothers you?" He said: "Yes." He said: "May Allah
cause your nose to he rubbed in the dust!" Then he asked
him about 'Ali(&), and he mentioned his good deeds and
said: "It is all true, and that is his house in the midst of the
houses of the Prophet (B)." Then he said: "Perhaps that
annoys you?" He said: "Indeed it does." He said: "May
Allah cause your nose to be rubbed in the dust! Go away
and do whatever you can against me."lZ4
As for the attributes of 'Ali (&), he had the attributes of a
devoted leader who is willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of
Allah and His Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet (g). We will sum
them up in a few lines here, then we will focus on some of them in
more detail. Some of the most important of these attributes were:
soundness of belief, knowledge of Sharia, trust in Allah, leading by
example, sincerity, calibre, courage, chivalry, asceticism, love of
sacrifice, choosing helpers well, humility, forbearance, patience,
ambition, determination, strong willpower, justice and the ability to
teach and train leaders. There are other qualities that may show
themselves to the researcher who studies the Makkan period, during
which he was with the Prophet (s); the Madinan period, when he
accompanied the Messenger of Allah (g) on his military campaigns;
and his role in the society. There were still other attributes that were
manifested when he was appointed leader of the state and became
Amir al-Mu'mineen (&). Among the most important of these
qualities were the following:
2.1. Knowledge and understanding of Islam
Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) was one of the senior scholars
among the Companions. He was distinguished by his abundant