Hadiths on the Caliphate of Imam Ali (peace be upon him)

Don’t you appoint a successor?

1. Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabir, narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas’ud:

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) took me along on the night of the Jinn. We went together until we reached the highest point of Mecca. He drew a line around me and said, “Do not leave.” Then he ventured into the mountains. I saw men descending upon him from the mountain tops, blocking my view of him. I drew my sword and said, “I will fight until I rescue the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family).” But then I remembered his words, “Do not leave until I come back to you.” So I stayed put until dawn. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) returned while I was still standing there. He asked, “You stayed as you were?” I said, “Even if you had stayed a month, I would not have moved until you came back.” Then I told him what I had intended to do. He said, “If you had left, neither you nor I would have met again until the Day of Judgment.” He then interlocked his fingers with mine and said, “I have been promised that both the Jinn and humans will believe in me. As for the humans, they have believed, and as for the Jinn, you saw them.” He then added, “I sense that my time is approaching.”

I said, “O Messenger of Allah, will you not appoint Abu Bakr as your successor?” He turned away from me, indicating that he did not approve. I then said, “O Messenger of Allah, will you not appoint Umar as your successor?” He turned away again, indicating his disapproval. I then said, “O Messenger of Allah, will you not appoint Ali as your successor?” He replied, “By the One in whose hand is my soul, if you were to appoint and obey him, I would surely lead you all to Paradise [1].”

• Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabir, narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas’ud:

I was with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) on the night the Jinn delegation came. He sighed deeply. I asked, “What troubles you, O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “I have been informed of my own death, O son of Mas’ud.” I said, “Appoint a successor.” He asked, “Who?” I replied, “Abu Bakr.” He remained silent. After a while, he sighed again. I asked, “What troubles you, may my father and mother be your ransom, O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “I have been informed of my own death, O son of Mas’ud.” I said, “Then appoint a successor.” He asked, “Who?” I replied, “Umar.” He remained silent. After a while, he sighed again. I asked, “What troubles you?” He said, “I have been informed of my own death, O son of Mas’ud.” I said, “Then appoint a successor.” He asked, “Who?” I replied, “Ali ibn Abi Talib.” He said, “By the One in whose hand is my soul, if they were to obey him, they would all enter Paradise together.”[2]

• Al-Sunnah, narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas’ud:

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said on the night of the Jinn, “I have been informed of my own death, by Allah.” I said, “Let Abu Bakr al-Siddiq lead the people.” He remained silent. I then said, “Let Umar lead the people.” He remained silent. I then said, “Let Ali lead the people.” He said, “They will not do it, but if they did, they would all enter Paradise together.”[3]

The Appointment of the Imam by the Command of Allah

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: “O Ali, you are my successor. I have entrusted you with the command of my Lord. And you are my successor, appointed by the command of my Lord.”[4]

• He (peace be upon him and his family) also said: “O Fatima… Verily, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, looked upon the earth and chose me from His creation and made me a prophet. Then He looked upon the earth again and chose your husband. He revealed to me that I should marry you to him and make him my friend and minister, and to appoint him as my successor in my nation. Your father is the best of Allah’s prophets and messengers, and your husband is the best of the successors.”[5]

• He (peace be upon him and his family) said: “When I was taken up to the heavens, from one heaven to another until I reached the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, I stood before my Lord, the Almighty and Majestic. He said to me: ‘O Muhammad!’ I said: ‘At Your service and at Your pleasure.’ He said: ‘I have tested my creation. Whom did you find most obedient to you?’ I said: ‘My Lord, Ali.’ He said: ‘You have spoken the truth, O Muhammad. Have you chosen a successor for yourself, to carry out your mission and teach My servants from My Book what they do not know?’ I said: ‘O Lord, choose for me, for Your choice is my choice.’ He said: ‘I have chosen Ali for you. Take him as your successor and executor.”[6]

• Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “Verily, Allah, whose name is blessed… strengthened His Messenger by me, honored me with His victory, ennobled me with His knowledge, endowed me with His judgments, singled me out with His bequest, and chose me for His succession in His nation. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said – when the migrants and the supporters were gathered, and the gatherings were filled with them – ‘O people! Ali is to me as Aaron was to Moses, except that there is no prophet after me.’ The believers understood the speech of the Messenger from Allah, recognizing that I was not his brother from his father and mother, as Aaron was to Moses, nor was I a prophet, so as to necessitate prophethood. But it was his appointment of me as his successor, just as Moses had appointed Aaron (peace be upon them both), where he says: ‘Take my place among my people, do right, and do not follow the way of the mischief-makers’[7].”[8]

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: “Ali and I were a light before Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, glorifying Him and sanctifying Him before He created Adam by a thousand years. When Allah created Adam, He placed that light in his loins, and it continued in a single line until it separated in the loins of Abdul Muttalib. In me is prophethood, and in Ali is the succession .”[9]

• He (peace be upon him and his family) also said: “Ali and I were created from one light before Allah created Adam by four thousand years. When Allah created Adam, He placed that light in his loins, and it continued in a single line until it separated in the loins of Abdul Muttalib. In me is prophethood, and in Ali is the succession .”[10]

1. He (peace be upon him and his family) said: “Verily, Ali ibn Abi Talib is the Caliph of Allah and my successor, and the proof of Allah and my proof.”[11]

1. Imam Al-Jawad (peace be upon him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) appointed Ali for succession in ten instances. Then Allah revealed: ‘O you who have believed, fulfill [all] contracts (16)’ – the contracts that were made upon you for the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) (17).”

The Successor of the Prophet After Him

1. Tarikh Dimashq, narrated by Ibn Abbas:”There will be a trial, so whoever lives through it should adhere to two things: the Book of Allah and Ali ibn Abi Talib. For I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) say – while holding Ali’s hand – ‘This is the first to believe in me, the first to shake my hand, the one who distinguishes this nation between truth and falsehood. He is the protector of the believers, while wealth is the protector of the oppressors. He is the greatest truthful one, my gateway through which I am approached, and he is my successor after me.”[12]

1. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: “O Ali, you are the Imam and the successor after me.”[13]

1. He (peace be upon him and his family) also said about Ali (peace be upon him): “This is my executor and my successor after me .”[14]

1. Fatima (peace be upon her), the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) used to say to Ali (peace be upon him): ‘O Ali, you are the Imam and the successor after me, and you have more right over the believers than they have over themselves.”[15]

1. She (peace be upon her) also said: “I bear witness to Allah, the Almighty, that I heard [the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)] say: ‘Ali is the best one I leave behind among you, he is the Imam and the successor after me.”[16]

1. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: “O people! Indeed, Ali is your Imam after me and my successor over you .”[17]

1. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “I am the cousin of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)… I am his executor and his successor after him.”[18]

1. Al-Sunnah, narrated by Ibn Abbas: “The people went out for the Battle of Tabuk, and Ali said: ‘Shall I accompany you?’ The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: ‘No.’ Ali wept. The Prophet said: ‘Are you not pleased to be to me as Aaron was to Moses, except that there will be no prophet after me! You are my successor over every believer after me.”[19]
2. Tarikh Dimashq, narrated by Ibn Abbas:

“The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) set out with the people for the Battle of Tabuk, and Ali said: ‘Shall I accompany you?’ The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: ‘No.’ Ali wept. The Prophet said: ‘Are you not pleased to be to me as Aaron was to Moses, except that there will be no prophet after me!’ Ali said: ‘Yes.’ The Prophet said: ‘And you are my successor over every believer.”[20]

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said to Ali (peace be upon him): “You are my successor over my nation after me.”[21]

• He (peace be upon him and his family) also said: “O people! Allah has commanded me to appoint for you an Imam; he will be my executor among you, and my successor over my family and my nation after me… O people! I have informed you of your refuge after me, your Imam, your guardian, and your guide after me; it is Ali ibn Abi Talib.”[22]

• He (peace be upon him and his family) also said: “O people! Indeed, Ali is the successor of Allah and my successor over you after me. He is the Commander of the Faithful and the best of the executors.”[23]

• He (peace be upon him and his family) said during the Farewell Pilgrimage: “Ali is the protector of the believers, while wealth is the protector of the oppressors. Ali is my brother and the guardian of the believers after me. He is to me as Aaron was to Moses, except that Allah has sealed prophethood with me; there will be no prophet after me, and he is my successor over my family and the believers after me.”[24]

• He (peace be upon him and his family) said on the day of Ghadir: “O people! This Ali is my brother, my executor, the repository of my knowledge, and my successor over my nation.”[25]

• He (peace be upon him and his family) said to Ali (peace be upon him): “You are my executor, my inheritor, and my successor over my family, my wealth, and the Muslims in every absence.”[26]

• Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “By Allah, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) appointed me as his successor over his nation, so I am Allah’s proof over them after His Prophet.”[27]

The Successor of the Prophet in His Lifetime and After His Death

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: “O Ali, you are my executor, and my successor over my family and my nation, in my lifetime and after my death .”[28]

• He (peace be upon him and his family) also said: “O Ali, you are my successor over my nation in my lifetime and after my death. You are to me as Seth was to Adam, as Shem was to Noah, as Ishmael was to Abraham, as Joshua was to Moses, and as Simon was to Jesus.”[29]

• He (peace be upon him and his family) said: “O Ali, you are my executor, the father of my children, the husband of my daughter, and my successor over my nation in my lifetime and after my death. Your command is my command, and your prohibition is my prohibition. I swear by the One who sent me with prophethood and made me the best of creation, you are Allah’s proof over His creation, His trustee over His secrets, and His successor over His servants.”[30]

• Al-Amali by Al-Saduq, narrated by Ibn Abbas:The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: “I will have the most followers of the prophets on the Day of Judgment. I will have a pond as wide as the distance between Busra (38) and Sana’a (39), with as many jugs as there are stars in the sky. My successor on the pond that day will be my successor in this world.” He was asked: “And who is that, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “The leader of the Muslims, the Commander of the Faithful, and their guardian after me; Ali ibn Abi Talib.”[31]

• The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) described Ali (peace be upon him) saying: “This is the best of my family, the closest of creation to me. His flesh is from my flesh, his blood is from my blood, and his spirit is from my spirit. He is my minister in my lifetime and my successor after my death, just as Aaron was to Moses, except that there is no prophet after me.”[32]

• In “Al-Futuh” – regarding the story of Aisha entering upon Umm Salama before the Battle of the Camel, inviting her to join her in Basra:Umm Salama reminded Aisha of Ali’s (may Allah be pleased with him) virtues, while Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr was at the door listening. He shouted to Umm Salama: “O daughter of Abu Umayya! We already know your hostility towards the family of al-Zubayr!” Umm Salama replied: “By Allah, you will come to it, and neither you nor your father will be able to resolve it! Do you expect the migrants and the helpers to be pleased with your father al-Zubayr and his companion Talha, while Ali ibn Abi Talib is alive, and he is the guardian of every believer, male and female?!”

Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr said: “We have never heard this from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) even for a moment!” Umm Salama said: “If you did not hear it, then your aunt Aisha heard it, so ask her! She heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) say: ‘Ali is my successor over you in my lifetime and after my death; whoever disobeys him has disobeyed me.’ Do you testify to this, O Aisha, or not?” Aisha said: “O Allah, yes.” Umm Salama said: “Then fear Allah, O Aisha, for yourself, and beware of what Allah and His Messenger have warned you about. Do not be the companion of the dogs of Hawab, and do not be deceived by al-Zubayr and Talha, for they will not avail you against Allah in any way.”[33]

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[1] Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabir: 10/67/9969.

[2] Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabir: 10/68/9970, Musannaf of Abdul Razzaq: 11/317/20646, Tarikh Dimashq: 42/421, Fara’id al-Simtayn: 1/273/212, Al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya: 7/361; Al-Amali by Al-Mufid: 35/2, Al-Amali by Al-Tusi: 307/617, Bashara al-Mustafa: 203, Mi’at Manqaba: 52/10, Sharh al-Akhbar: 2/279/589 and the last five are similar, Manaqib by Ibn Shahr Ashub: 3/63 and refer to Fada’il by Ibn Shadhan: 80.

[3] Al-Sunnah by Ibn Abi Asim: 549/1183, Manaqib by Al-Khwarizmi: 114/124, Fara’id al-Simtayn: 1/267/209, both similar.

[4] Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih: 4/179/5405 narrated by Ibn Abbas.

[5] Kamal al-Din: 263/10, Kitab Sulaym bin Qays: 2/565/1, Irshad al-Qulub: 419 all from Salman Al-Farsi, and refer to Kifayat al-Athar: 10.

[6] Manaqib by Al-Khwarizmi: 303/299, Fara’id al-Simtayn: 1/268/210; Al-Amali by Al-Tusi: 343/705 all narrated by Ghalib al-Juhani from Imam al-Baqir from his ancestors (peace be upon them), Irshad al-Qulub: 237, Manaqib by Al-Kufi: 1/410/326 from Salam al-Ju’fi from Muhammad bin Ali, similar.

[7] Al-A’raf: 142.

[8] Al-Kafi: 8/26/4 narrated by Jabir bin Yazid from Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him). Refer to: Hadiths of Manzila.

[9] Manaqib by Ibn al-Maghazili: 88/130; Al-‘Umda: 89/107 both from Salman, Bihar al-Anwar: 38/147/114.

[10] Al-Firdaws: 2/191/2952 narrated by Salman.

[11] Al-Amali by Al-Saduq: 271/299, Bashara al-Mustafa: 31, Kanz al-Fawa’id: 2/13 all narrated by Muhammad bin al-Furat from Imam al-Baqir from his ancestors (peace be upon them), Mi’at Manqaba: 58/14.

[12] Tarikh Dimashq: 42/42/8371 and 43/8373; Ma’ani al-Akhbar: 402/64, Sharh al-Akhbar: 2/266/572.

[13] Kifayat al-Athar: 157 narrated by Muhammad bin al-Hanafiyya from Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and 100 narrated by Zaid bin Arqam and 132 narrated by Imran bin Husayn and 217 narrated by Alqama bin Qays from Imam Ali (peace be upon him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), Bihar al-Anwar: 26/349/23 quoted from Al-Muhtadhar by Al-Hasan bin Sulaiman.

[14] Fada’il by Ibn Shadhan: 105 narrated by Umar, Kifayat al-Athar: 13 narrated by Ibn Abbas stating “Verily, my executor and successor after me is Ali bin Abi Talib”, Sharh al-Akhbar: 1/113/35 narrated by Basira bin Maryam stating “You are my brother…”, Bihar al-Anwar: 40/122/11 quoted from Kitab al-Rawdah.

[15] Kifayat al-Athar: 195 narrated by Sahl bin Sa’d al-Ansari, Al-Sirat al-Mustaqim: 2/147 narrated by Sahl bin Sa’id al-Ansari.

[16] Kifayat al-Athar: 199 narrated by Mahmoud bin Labid and 20 narrated by Ibn Abbas and 117 narrated by Abu Ayyub Khalid bin Yazid al-Ansari and 173 narrated by Yazid al-Saman from Imam al-Hussein (peace be upon him), and its continuation.

[17] Ma’ani al-Akhbar: 372/1 narrated by Ibn Abbas, Kamal al-Din: 261/8 narrated by Ali bin al-Hasan al-Sa’ih from Imam al-Askari from his father from his grandfather (peace be upon them), stating “O Ibn Mas’ud” instead of “O people”.

[18] Sharh al-Akhbar: 1/121/47 narrated by Abu Rafi’.

[19] Al-Sunnah by Ibn Abi Asim: 589/1351.

[20] Tarikh Dimashq: 42/98/8441 and 100/8448; Sharh al-Akhbar: 2/300/618, Kashf al-Ghumma: 1/178 all similar.

[21] Al-Ghayba by Al-Tusi: 150/111 narrated by Al-Hasan bin Ali from his father from Imam al-Sadiq from his ancestors (peace be upon them), Sharh al-Akhbar: 1/135/65 and 2/300/618 narrated by Abdullah bin Abbas stating “every believer” instead of “my nation”.

[22] Al-Ghayba by Al-Nu’mani: 71/8, Kamal al-Din: 277/25, Kitab Sulaym bin Qays: 2/760/25 all narrated by Sulaym bin Qays.

[23] Uyoun Akhbar al-Rida: 2/13/30 narrated by Al-Husayn bin Khalid from Imam al-Rida from his ancestors (peace be upon them).

[24] Al-Amali by Al-Tusi: 521/1147 narrated by Al-Majashi’i from Imam al-Rida from his ancestors from Imam Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon them), Kashf al-Ghumma: 2/35 both from Umar and Salma, the children of Umm Salama, the stepchildren of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family).

[25] Al-Ihtijaj: 1/147/32 narrated by Alqama from Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him), and refer to Kamal al-Din: 279/25 and Al-Ghayba by Al-Nu’mani: 70/8 and 83/12 and Tafsir al-Qummi: 2/109 and 1/293.

[26] Al-Khisal: 430/9 narrated by Bakr bin Muhammad al-Azdi from some of our companions from Imam al-Sadiq from Imam Ali (peace be upon them).

[27] Mi’at Manqaba: 82/32 narrated by Al-Musayyib bin Najiyah.

[28] Al-Khisal: 652/53, Al-Amali by Al-Saduq: 754/1015 both narrated by Sulayman bin Mehran from Imam al-Sadiq from his ancestors (peace be upon them) and 175/178, Fada’il by Ibn Shadhan: 8, Bashara al-Mustafa: 198, the last three narrated by Ibn Abbas and 23 narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah, Kamal al-Din: 260/6 narrated by Al-Husayn bin Khalid from Imam al-Rida from his ancestors (peace be upon them), the last two similar.

[29] Al-Amali by Al-Saduq: 450/609, Bashara al-Mustafa: 58 both narrated by Abdullah bin Abbas.

[30] Uyoun Akhbar al-Rida: 1/297/53, Fada’il al-Ashhur al-Thalatha: 79/61, Al-Amali by Al-Saduq: 155/149 all narrated by Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Faddal from Imam al-Rida from his ancestors (peace be upon them).

[31] Al-Amali by Al-Saduq: 374/471, Bashara al-Mustafa: 34. Refer to: Section nine / Ali (peace be upon him) on the tongue of the Prophet / Spiritual virtues / The owner of my pond.

[32] Al-Tawhid: 311/2, Qasas al-Anbiya: 284/348 both narrated by Ja’far al-Azhari from Imam al-Sadiq from his ancestors (peace be upon them), Al-Khara’ij wa al-Jara’ih: 2/492/5 similar and refer to Al-Thaqib fi al-Manaqib: 67/48.

[33] Al-Futuh: 2/454, refer to: Section six / Battle of the Camel / Preparation of the Nakithin for battle / Aisha’s return when she reached the water of Hawab. Source: Encyclopedia of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) in the Book, Sunnah, and History by Sheikh Muhammad Al-Rayshahri.