Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

70 'Ali ibn Abi Tdlib in MaWrah
"0 son of my brother, I cannot leave the religion of my forefathers
and the way they followed, but no harm will reach you so long as I
am alive." They said that he said to 'Ali: "0 my son, what is this
religion that you are followmg?" He said: "0 my father, I believe in
Allah and the Messenger of Allah, and 1 believe what he has brought.
I prayed with him to Allah, and I followed him." And they said that
Abu Taib sad to 'Ali: "He is calling you to something good, so
follow hlm.,,79
2.4. Did 'Ali (&) break .the idols with the
Messenger of Allah (&) in Makkah?
It was narrated that 'Ali (&) said: The Prophet (@J and I set
out and went to the Ka'bah. The Messenger of Allah (.@) said: "Sit
down," and he climbed on my shoulders and I wanted to stand up
with him on my shoulders, but he realixed that I was weak, so he got
sat down and said: "Climb on my
down. The Prophet of Allah (s)
shoulders." I climbed on his shoulders, and he stood up with me on
his shoulders, and I felt that I could reach the farthest horizon in the
sky. I climbed up on top of the House, where there was a statue of
gold or copper. I started shakmg it right and left, forwards and
backwards, until I was in full control of it. The Messenger of Allah
(&) said to me: "Throw it down." So I threw it down and it broke
like a glass bottle, then I came down, and the Messenger of AUah (s) --
and I rushed away until we hid among the houses, lest anyone find
80
us. The chain of narration of this hadith is weak, and we cannot
base any ruling on it as some people claim. The basic principle dnnng
the M&an period remains that the Prophet (s) did not allow the
Companions to use force with their opponents or commit any act of
aggression against their idols and statues. The Messenger of Allah
(@) purified Makkah of idols at the time of the conquest, and sent
expeditions after that great conquest to destroy idols and purify the