A Unique Quality
Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir (ra) relates that he heard the Holy Prophet (sa) say to Hazrat Ali (ra), “O Ali, Allah the Almighty has endowed you with a quality, which no other person has been granted the like of and that is aversion from material world. Allah the Almighty has made you in a way that you do not partake of anything from this world and the world does not take anything from you.”
In other words, he did not have any desire for material things and similarly those who are desirous of worldly material did not wish to keep any relationship with him.
“Moreover, Allah the Almighty has granted you love for the needy and they are well pleased by appointing you as their leader and you are pleased to be their leader. Thus, there are glad-tidings for one who shows love to you and speaks the truth about you and those who bear enmity against you, and those who utter lies about you shall perish. Those who show love to you and speak the truth about you will be your neighbours in Paradise and the companions of your palace. And those who bear enmity against you and fabricate lies against you, then Allah the Almighty has taken it upon Himself that on the Day of Judgment, He shall raise them amongst the most hardened liars.”
(Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usdul Ghabah fi Ma‘rifatis Sahabah, Vol. 4, [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2003], pp. 96-97)