The Status of Hazrat Ali (ra)
The Promised Messiah (as) further states regarding the status of Hazrat Ali (ra):
“Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was righteous and pious. He was a beloved of Allah, the Gracious God. He was the elect of Allah and the chief of his era. He was the victorious lion of Allah, the Benevolent, a pure-hearted and generous youth who belonged to God. He was peerless and his bravery was such that he would remain resolute in the battlefield, even if an army from among the enemy stood in front of him.
“He lived his life with great humility, reaching the highest peak of piety that a mortal can attain. He would sacrifice his money and wealth and was the foremost in consoling and helping the destitute, orphans and his neighbours. On the battlefield, he demonstrated extraordinary feats of bravery and displayed a miraculous skill in handling the sword and spear.
“At the same time, he was soft-spoken and an eloquent orator. His words would penetrate the hearts of the listeners and remove the corrosion of their minds. His countenance shone bright with the light of truth. He was an outstanding orator; whosoever competed with him in this field would themselves step down, overpowered and defeated [by his eloquence]. His every attribute was outstanding and he was flawless in his speech and eloquence. He who denies his perfection adopts the way of the shameless.
“He would encourage others to remove the difficulties of the helpless. He would command to feed the poor and needy. He was among those who were honoured with the nearness of God and the foremost people who drank from the fountain of the Quran’s wisdom and was gifted with a deep understanding and insight of the intricacies of the Quran.
“I have seen him (i.e. Hazrat Ali (ra)), but not in a dream, rather in a state of wakefulness. I met him in a vision [kashf] and whilst in this state, Hazrat Ali (ra) bestowed upon me the commentary of the Book of Allah, the Knower of the Unseen, and said:
“‘This is my commentary, and now it is bestowed upon you; rejoice over that which has been bestowed upon you.’” In other words, Hazrat Ali (ra) gave this commentary to the Promised Messiah (as).
“He stated, ‘May this be a blessing for you.’ Thus, I stretched forth my hand and took the commentary and thanked Allah, the Mighty and Bestower of All Things. I found Hazrat Ali (ra) to be of proportionate build, possessing moral excellence, humble, strong, and had a radiant countenance.
“I affirm, on oath, that Hazrat Ali (ra) met me with great love and affection. It was conveyed to me that he knew me and was aware of my beliefs and he was also aware that my views and beliefs were opposed to the beliefs held by the Shias. But he never expressed any sort of displeasure or disapproval at this, nor did he turn away from me. Instead, he met like one’s beloved and showed me great affection just like a true and sincere friend would do so.
“He was accompanied by both Hasan (ra) and Husain (ra) and by the Chief of the Messengers, the Seal of the Prophets (sa). Also in their company was a very beautiful, righteous young woman of high status; she was blessed, pure, dignified and worthy of honour: her inner and outer qualities were infused with spiritual light. I found her to be in a state of grief, which she was trying to suppress. It was conveyed to me that she was Fatimah al-Zahra.
I was lying down as she approached me and sat down next to me. She placed my head upon her thigh and was most kind to me. I noticed that she was sorrowful and anxious on account of my troubles, as mothers are anxious on account of the tribulations of their children.”
Certain non-Ahmadis raise allegations on this stating that how wrong it is to say such a thing in that he placed his head on her thigh. However, the Promised Messiah (as) has given the example of a mother. If one reads the entire extract from the beginning and the qualities he has mentioned in relation to her and then reads this particular sentence, in which it states that she showed kindness to him like that of a mother, then it leaves no room for any allegation. However, since their minds are polluted, therefore they raise such allegations. In any case, the Promised Messiah (as) states:
“It was then conveyed to me that my relationship with her” i.e. with Hazrat Fatimah (ra) “was like that of a spiritual son. It passed through my mind that her sorrow was an indication of the persecution that I was to undergo at the hands of my people, countrymen and enemies. Then Hasan (ra) and Husain (ra) approached me and expressed their affection towards me like that of brothers and met me like kind well-wishers. This vision was one of those that I experienced while I was awake and this took place many years ago. I have a unique relationship with Hazrat Ali (ra) and Hazrat Husain (ra), of which only God, the Lord of East and West, knows its true reality. In fact, I have deep love for Hazrat Ali (ra) and his sons. I am an enemy of the one who is an enemy of them. However, I am not unjust, nor am I from among the oppressors. It is not possible for me to turn away from what Allah the Almighty has revealed to me and I am not of the transgressors. However, if you fail to accept this, then for you are your deeds and for me, my deeds and Allah will judge between us for He is the best of judges.”
(Sirr al-Khilafah, Ruhani Khaza‘in, Vol. 8, pp. 358-359, Urdu Tarjumah of Sirr al-Khilafah, pp. 108-112, Nazarat Ishaat)