Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

344 The oath of allegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way of life
'Ali (&) was a man who used to ask a lot of questions and
had the ability to understand quickly. He said: "My Lord gave me a
smart mind and a questioning tongue."'29 He attributed his great
knowledge to his seeking it from the Messenger of Allah (B) by
asking questions. He said: "If I asked, I would be given an answer,
and if I remained quiet, I would still be taught."'30 When shyness
came between him and the Messenger of Allah (g) and prevented
him from asking questions, he would ask one of the Companions to
ask for him. It was narrated that Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah
reported that 'Ali said: "I was a man who had a great deal of preseminal
fluid, and I felt too shy to ask Messenger of AUah (&) about
that, so I asked d-Miqdg ihn d-Aswad to ask him for me, and he
said: 'Wudoo' is required for that.'"13' ' Ali (&) wamed the people
against failing to acquire knowledge because of shyness, saying:
"None of you should feel too shy to learn if he does not know,'32 and
an ignorant person should not feel too shy to ask about what he does
not know."
Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) was among the few Muslims
who knew how to read and write in the early days of Islam. Over and
above that, he was one of the scribes who wrote down the revelation
for the Messenger of AUah (g). This skill in reading and writing also
helped him to develop a deep knowledge of Islam. He thought that
texts should be written in a clear script, with distinct gaps between
the lines and the letters close together. It was narrated from Ahu
'UthmZn 'Amr ibn Bahr ihn al-Jiihiz that Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali
ibn Ahi Taih (&) said: "Handwriting has a message, so the clearer
it is, the better."133 He instructed his scribe 'Ubaydullah ibn Abi
R2fi': "Fill your inkpot, and sharpen your pen so that it will last
longer. Leave gaps between the lines, and bring the letters close
together."134 It was narrated that Ahu Hakeemah al-'Abdi said: "We
used to write out the mu~hafs in Kufab. 'Ali would pass by us while