Ali’s Genealogy (Part 2)
Imam Ali’s dignified mother was Fatimah bint Asad ibn Hashim ibn `Abd-Manaf, a lady who undertook to rear the Messenger of Allah in his childhood, fondling him on her lap. She was among the first women who believed in Allah and His messenger and immigrated to Medina with the Holy Prophet (PBUH). [1]
The day this lady passed away, the Messenger of Allah personally undertook to perform her funeral rites, shrouding her in his own garment and when the digging of grave was knee-deep, removed the earth from the grave, lay down in the grave for moments and said: O Lord, who are living forever, you make the living die and the dead to become alive, through Your messenger, Muhammad and the messengers before me, forgive my mother, Fatimah bint Asad, instill the profession of faith into her ear and widen her grave, for you are the Most Merciful.
At this time, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) instilled the right words in her ear, repeatedly saying: Your son, your son! Not Jafar or `Aqil! Those attending the funeral service said: O Messenger of Allah! What you did for `Ali’s mother, Fatimah, you did not for others. You shrouded her in your own garment, lay down in her grave before burial, and instilled into her ear, you said: Your son, your son; Not Jafar or `Aqil. What is the meaning of all this? The Messenger of Allah said: One of the days I was speaking about how people were naked and bare-footed when they will be on the Resurrection Day.
Hearing this, Fatimah bint Asad became very sad, saying: woe to the humiliation of that day! I promised her that I would shroud her in my own garment so that she would not come to the Resurrection Day naked. I lay down in her grave to make her safe from tightness of grave. The reason I said: Your son, your son, Not Jafar or `Aqil, was that the examining angels entered her grave, asking her: Who is your Lord? She said: God Almighty is my Lord. She was asked: Who is your prophet. She said: Muhammad. She was asked: Who is your Imam? She kept silent, not knowing what to answer. I said to her: Your son, your son, meaning that your Imam and leader is your son, `Ali, not `Aqil or Jafar. [2]
Imam Ali was the first Hashemite of two Hashemite lineages. He was born a Hashemite, both on the mother and father sides. [3]
Imam Ali’s dignified father was Abu-Talib,`Abd-Manaf ibn `Abd al-Muttalib Known as Shaybat al-Hamd, literally meaning a model of thanksgiving or the thanksgiving old man.
Imam Ali and the Holy Prophet’s lineage gather together in `Abd al-Muttalib, the son of Hashim ibn `Abd-Manaf, the son of Qasi ibn Kilab ibn Murrah ibn Ka`b ibn Lu’ay ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn Nadr ibn Kinanah ibn Khuzaymah ibn Mudrikah ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar ibn Nizar ibn Ma`d ibn`Andan ibn Mubdi` ibn Mani` ibn Adad ibn Ka`b ibn Yashjub ibn Ya`rub ibn Humaysa` ibn Qaydar ibn Isma`il ibn Ibrahim, the Friend of God.
Imam Ali was the Holy Prophet’s full blood cousin on both sides. His uncles were`Abbas, Hamzah ibn `Abd al-Muttalib, his brothers,`Aqil and Ja`far, his sons, Hassan and Hussein, and his wife, Lady Fatima, the princess of the world women. Due to Allah’s Grace, Imam Ali has been honored by God Almighty with all the excellent qualities of this family. These blessings are tied to all members of the Holy Prophet’s household. [4]
Notes:
1] Tarikh Dimashq, vol. 1, pp. 21
[2] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 35, pp. 179-180
[3] Kafi, vol. 1, pp. 452
[4] Tarikh Dimashq, vol. 1, pp. 20
Taken From “Certainty Uncovered” by Jamal al-Din ibn Yusuf 'Allamah Hilli
Other links:
Imam Ali’s Biography
The Imam of Mankind
