The Holy Prophet’s (sa) Affection
Hazrat Umm Atiyya (ra) relates that the Holy Prophet (sa) sent an army [for an expedition] and Hazrat Ali (ra) was also a part of it. She states that she heard the Holy Prophet (sa) recite the following prayer: “O Allah, do not cause me to die until You show me Ali.”
(Ali Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 4, Dhikr ‘Ali bin Abi Talib [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Fikr, 2003], 100)
The Holy Prophet (sa) sent Hazrat Ali (ra) on a military expedition and when he returned, the Holy Prophet (sa) stated to him, “Allah, His Messenger (sa) and Gabriel are pleased with you.”
(Kanz al-Ummal, Vol. 13, p. 107, Hadith 36349, Mu’assisat al-Risalah, Beirut, 1985)