Our Deeds must be merely for the pleasure of God
The Commander of the Faithful, Ali bin Abi Talib, tried to follow the example of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) of Islam in his personal and social life, both as an individual and as a ruler. Prophet Muhammad is the perfect servant God.
Because Imam Ali followed the example of the Holy Prophet, the following verses were revealed to express his characteristics:
“Surely, the righteous should drink of a cup the admixture of which is camphor, a fountain from which the servants of Allah shall drink; they make it to flow a (goodly) flowing forth; they fulfill vows and fear a day the evil of which shall be spreading far and wide; and they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the captive; we only feed you for Allah’s sake; we desire from you neither reward nor thanks; truly we fear from our Lord a stern distressful day.”[1]
The interesting point about this verse is the saying of Imam Musa Kazem (PBUH): “The Commander of the Faithful never said he gives food out of love for God, but God revealed his inner intention without any direct references to his name.”[2]
So the words “they give goof out of love for Him” are divine words not Imam Ali’s (PBUH) and God reveals his inner intentions. This is another important reason for the sincerity of this great Imam. In Ahzab war he also proved his sincere intentions when he waited some minutes before killing Amro ben Abdu, Arab warrior, who insulted him. In fact, Amro had spitted on the Imam’s face and the Imam just walked for sometime and then killed the enemy of Islam. When asked why he did not kill the enemy immediately, he said: I feared that if I kill him, it would be out of a personal grudge not merely for the sake of God. So I controlled my anger and when I was in full command of my senses and realized that it was for the sake of God, I killed him.
Source: Dar Sayesare Aftab (Examples of Conducts of Imam Ali), Ismail Saadat
Translated by: Sadroddin Musawi
Notes:
[1] 76:5-10
[2] Gherar al-Hekam 91
Other links:
Imam Ali (A.S): The Manifestation of Real Justice (Part 2)
The Value of Man from viewpoint of Imam Ali (A.S)
The Vastness of Imam Ali’s Knowledge
