Ali Ibn Al Husain Ibn Ali was the grandson of Imam Ali Ibn Abi Taleb, cousin of the Prophet peace be upon him. As a matter of fact, Muslims honour, love and respect members of the family of the Prophet not just because they are his relatives and close kins. It is true that Ali Ibn Abi Taleb was the cousin of the Prophet and his son in law, husband of his daughter Fatimah. But what qualifies Ali and his family to love, greatness and honour is not just his relation to the Prophet. There were other members of the Prophet's relation who were condemned and were declared opponents to Islam. The Holy Quran has condemned the uncle of the Prophet called Abu Lahab. A separate chapter talks about him and his wife and says that he will go to Hell.

Again the Prophet declared it on more than one occasion that it will be of no avail for his relatives if they do no good and rely on their relation to him only. Once the Prophet said to his daughter Fatimah: O Fatimah daughter of Muhammad be careful of yourself. I can be of no use to you before God. This is a basic principle of Islam. Even today those who claim to be the descendents of the Prophet peace be upon him cannot guarantee any special position with God just because of this. The most beloved ones in the sight of God are only the most pious. It is only in this light that we present the members of the Prophet's family as great luminaries of Islam. Their greatness springs basically from their piety and righteous deeds.

As for the present personality, Ali Ibn Al Husain was the son of an ex-slave woman called Ghazalah. She was granted freedom after her slavery when she gave birth to a son. This was one method for eliminating slavery. Ali Ibn Al Husain was called Ali the junior. As for Ali the senior, he was killed with his father Al Husain may God be pleased with him; this took place in Karbala when Al Husain was killed along with many of his family members. Ali the junior was with his father Al Husain, and was 23 years old; but he was ill and could not leave his bed. That is why he was not killed on that day. His nickname was Abul Husain, or Abu Muhammad.

Abdul Rahman Ibn Hafs Al Qurashi says: Whenever Ali Ibn Al Husain used to make ablution his face would become pale? His family members would ask him about it, he would say: Do you know in front of whom I am going to stand? In another version we are told that every time Ali Ibn Al Husain stood for prayer his body would shake and tremble. He would be asked: What is wrong with you? He would say: Don't you know in whose presence I stand and to whom I appeal?

In another story narrated by Abu Nooh Al Ansari we read the following: A fire broke out in a house where Ali Ibn Al Husain was prostrating himself in prayer. People around him started to scream and say: O son of the Messenger of God! the fire, the fire. Ali Ibn Al Husain continued in his prostration and did not raise his head until the fire was put out. He was asked: What is it that preoccupied you so that you neglected the fire? He said: The Other Hell fire preoccupied me!

Sufyan says: A man came to Ali Ibn Al Husain may God be pleased with him and said: Such a man hurt and cursed you. He said: Take me to him. So the conveyor of the bad news took him to the attacker thinking that Ali Ibn Al Husain would fight back and revenge. But when he met the concerned man he said: If what you say is true, may God forgive me; and if what you say is not true may God Almighty forgive you. This does not mean that Ali Ibn Al Husain could not avenge himself from the man. It only means that he could but he preferred to forgive him which is of course greatly rewarded by God Almighty.

In a similar story Abu Yacoob Al Madani says: A dispute arose between Hasan Ibn Hasan and Ali Ibn Al Husain. The former came upon the latter when he was with his friends in the mosque. He did not leave any curse or bad thing but said it to him while Ali Ibn Al Husain was silent all the time. Then Hasan departed. After night fall he came to Ali in his house and knocked at his door. Ali came out to him and said: My brother if what you said to me is true then may God forgive me, and if you lie may God forgive you. Peace be upon you. He then turned away. But Hasan followed and embraced him from behind him and started to cry until Ali felt pity towards him. Then Hasan said: To be sure I shall never do again what you hate. Then Ali said: You are absolved of what you said against me.

Jaafar Ibn Muhammad transmitted the following from his father. He said: Ali Ibn Al Husain said: The loss of the dear ones gives a sense of estrangment. He used to say: O God! I seek refuge in You not to make my outward appearance look bright in others eyes while my real inner state is evil and bad. O God! As you always do good to me and forgive me whenever I make a sin, so also whenever I return to sin return on me with your forgiveness. Another wonderful saying of Ali Ibn Al Husain is the following one: Some people worship God out of fear of Him. This is the worship of slaves. Others worship Him driven by a desire and an ambition and this is the worship of traders; while a third category of people worship God to give thanks and express their gratitude to Him and this is the worship of freedom.

Again Ali Ibn Al Husain did not like that anyone should help him in his ablution. He used to get water for it and cover it before he would go to sleep. When he would wake up by night he would make ablution and start his prayer. He would make up for any voluntary prayer he might have missed by day. He would then say to his children: This is not obligatory on you but I like to continue doing this habit of mine. He never neglected voluntary prayer at night neither on travel nor at home. He used to say: I am surprised of the proud and arrogant one who was only a sperm yesterday and will be a dead carcase tomorrow. I am indeed astonished of one who ignores the second life while he sees with his own eyes the first creation. I am indeed astounded of one who works for the house of mortality and leaves and neglects the home of eternity.

Once a man came to ask something from Ali Ibn Al Husain. He welcomed him and said: Hail and the best greetings are to one who carries my needs to the Hereafter. Another man spoke to him and said some falsehoods against him. As was his habit he said to the man: If I am as you say then may God forgive me, but if I am not as you say then may God forgive you. The man rose and kissed his head. May I be a sacrifice in defence of you. Ali Ibn Al Husain said: May God forgive you. The man then commented: God knows best where to place His message!

Shaybah Ibn Na'amah said: Ali Ibn Al Husain used to lead a seemingly miserly life. But when he died they discovered that he was supporting one hundred poor families in Madinah. Muhammad Ibn Ishaq said: Some people of Madinah used to live not knowing where from they got their livelihood. When Ali Ibn Al Husain died they lost what used to be sent to them by night. As a matter of fact, Ali Ibn Al Husain used to carry a bag of bread by night on his back and distribute it as charity. He would say: " The secret charity puts out the anger of God ". When Ali Ibn Al Husain died and people washed his body, they found some black traces on his back. They said: What is this? Then the answer was that he used to carry bags of flour on it by night and would give them to the poor people of Madinah. That is why when he died people of Madinah said: We only lost the secret charity when Ali Ibn Al Husain died.

Saeed Ibn Murjanah said I heard Abu Hurairah say: The Messenger of God said: Whoever liberates a believing slave, God will liberate him from Fire each member for each member. When Ali Ibn Al Husain heard this tradtion he asked the transmitter: Did you really hear it from Abu Hurairah? The man said: Yes indeed. Then Ali Ibn Al Husain called the best slave he had and said: You are free for the sake of God Almighty. As a matter of fact, Abdullah Ibn Jaafar once offerred one thousand dinars for this slave whom Ali liberated later on.

One day a faction of the people of Iraq came to Ali Ibn Al Husain and started to criticise Abu Bakr, Umer and Uthman may God be pleased with them. When they finished their attack on the three rightly guided caliphs Ali Ibn Al Husain asked: Tell me. Are you the first emigrants who were driven out of their homes and properties seeking the bounty of God and His satisfaction and supporting God and His messenger? Those indeed are the truthful? They said: No. Are you those who lived in Madinah before them and had adopted the faith, and showed their affection to such as came to them for refuge, and entertain no desire in their hearts for things given to the latter, but give them preference over themselves even though poverty was their own lot? The Iraqi faction said: No.

When they said this Ali Ibn Al Husain said: Then I testify that you are not of those who came after them and say: Our Lord! Forgive us and our brothers who came before us into the Faith, and leave not in our hearts rancour against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful. He then said to the Iraqi group: Go out from here.

Ali Ibn Al Husain used to go to Zayd Ibn Aslam, a liberated slave, and would learn from him Islam. A man once came to him and said: You are a master and the best of people. How come that you go to this slave and sit with him? He said: Islamic knowledge should be followed wherever it may be.

A final word about Ali Ibn Al Husain is that his contemporaries testified that they never saw any one more pious and more knowledgeable in religion than he was.