Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

92 'Ali ibn Abi Tcilib in Makkah
describing the Noble Qur'an and its great importance: "In the Book
of Allah, there are stories of those who came before you, foretelling
what will happen after you and rulings on issues between you. It is
serious and is not in jest. Whoever among the tyrants neglects it,
Allah will destroy him; whoever seeks guidance in anything else,
Allah will send him astray. It is the strong rope, the wise reminder,
the straight path. It is the Book that whims and desires cannot distort
and tongues cannot mispronounce. Its wonders never end, and the
scholars never tire of it. Whoever quotes it speaks the truth, whoever
acts upon it will be rewarded, whoever judges according to it will be
just, and whoever calls people to it will be guided to a straight
path."'22
Because of his great interest in the Qur'an, 'Ali acquired a
great deal of knowledge of it and its sciences. It was narrated that he
said: "By Allah, no verse of it was revealed but I know why it was
revealed, when it was revealed and to whom it was revealed. My
Lord has blessed me with a deep understanding and an eloquent,
truthful tongue."123 And he (&) said: "Ask me about the Book of
Allah, for there is no verse in it but I know whether it was revealed by
night or by day, on the plains or in the rnountain~."'~~ Ibn 'Abdul-
Barr narrated that 'Ali (4) was one of those who collected the
Noble Qur'an at the time of the Messenger of Allah (@) while the
Messenger was still alive.lZ5 At the end of his Life he said: "Ask me
before you lose me."126 That was when most of the other scholars
among the Companions had died, and he (&) was in Lraq. He was
very keen to teach the Noble Qur'an and the teachings of the Prophet
(g) to the people, among whom there was a great deal of ignorance.
They did not know much about the rulings of Islam, and 'Ali (&)
was keen to teach them the truth. He was the most knowledgeable of
people of his time. This is an example of the devoted scholar who is
eager to teach people the truth and train them to follow it.