The Reality of Khilafah — Page 65
C H AP T E R ON E—K HIL C H AP T E R ON E—K HIL A A FAH FAH 65 The Virtues of ‘Al i may Allah be pleased with him O Allah! Be the friend of his friend & be the enemy of his enemy! ‘Al i , may Allah be pleased with him, was a righteous man and was among those most beloved of the Gracious One. He was a cho- sen one among his people and a leader of his time. He was the Lion of Allah and the Champion of Allah, the Compassionate. He was generous and pure-hearted. He was unique in his bravery and could stand his ground on battle even if he was attacked by a horde of the enemy. He spent his life in austerity and attained the highest levels of piety and purity. He was foremost in giving of his wealth, consoling and helping the afflicted, and looking after the poor and the orphan and the neighbour. He showed great bravery in the battlefield and there are amazing stories about his feats with sword and spear. At the same time, he was also very eloquent and soft-spoken. His words penetrated the hearts of the listeners and polished their rusty minds so that their faces would radiate with the light of truth. He was skilled at all manner of discourse and anyone who competed with him in this field would end up apologizing like the vanquished. He was perfect in all good traits as well as in speech and eloquence. Whoever denies his perfection would have to be shameless indeed. He would urge people to take care of the helpless and the needy and the feeding of the one who asked as well as the one who didn’t. He was among the servants of Allah and had been granted His nearness. Along with all this, he was also foremost in drinking from the fountain of the Quran. He had been gifted with a deep