A debate is viral these days on the topic of Maula Ali (a.s) as according to some people Maula Ali should be considered afzal from all the companions of the Holy Prophet s.a.w. One of the sects has this core belief that Maula Ali (a.s) is superiors to even all the prophets except Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. Whether Ali a.s was superior or not, that is another thing but Quran has stated several times that Ali a.s was included in Ahlul Bait and he had a separate position and significance amongst all the companions of the Prophet s.a.w. Whether it is Ayah Tatheer, or Ayah Mubahila, Quran is very much clear about a significant positon of Maula Ali a.s.
Accepting Maula Ali (a.s) superior to the companions of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w can be accepted based on several arguments. However, the other side has their own arguments to believe other companions superior to Maula Ali (a.s). Based on sahih ahadith, it is very much clear that Prophet Muhammad s.a.w gave a separate place to Maula Ali (a.s) amongst all of his companions. Given below hadith clarifies it:
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَسُوَيْدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا شَرِيكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ حُبْشِيِّ بْنِ جُنَادَةَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ " عَلِيٌّ مِنِّي وَأَنَا مِنْهُ وَلاَ يُؤَدِّي عَنِّي إِلاَّ عَلِيٌّ " .
It was narrated that Hubshi bin Junadah said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ''Ali is part of me and I am part of him, and no one will represent me except 'Ali.'" (Sunan Ibn Majah 119) https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:119
In a long narration, Prophet s.a.w became angry on the companions who disobeyed Ali and said:
Narrated 'Imran bin Husain: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) dispatched an army and he put 'Ali bin Abi Talib in charge of it....... when the expedition arrived, they gave Salam to the Prophet (ﷺ), and one of the four stood saying: "O Messenger of Allah! Do you see that 'Ali bin Abi Talib did such and such." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) turned away from him. Then the second one stood and said as he said, and he turned away from him. Then the third stood before him, and said as he said, and he turned away from him. Then the fourth stood and said as they had said. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) faced him, and the anger was visible on his face, he said: "What do you want from 'Ali?! What do you want from 'Ali?! What do you want from 'Ali?! Indeed 'Ali is from me, and I am from him, and he is the ally of every believer after me." (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3712) https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:3712
The matter of fact is that people who love Maula Ali (a.s) and Ahl ul Bait (a.s) based on their direct association with the Prophet s.a.w. There is no doubt that severak time Ahl ul Bait a.s were praised exceptionally by all the companions of the Holy Prophet s.a.w including Hazrat Abu Bakr r.a and Hazrat Umar r.a.. See the sahih Hadith given below:
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ، أَخْبَرَنِي عُقْبَةُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، قَالَ خَرَجْتُ مَعَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ مِنْ صَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ بَعْدَ وَفَاةِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِلَيَالٍ وَعَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام يَمْشِي إِلَى جَنْبِهِ فَمَرَّ بِحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ يَلْعَبُ مَعَ غِلْمَانٍ فَاحْتَمَلَهُ عَلَى رَقَبَتِهِ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ وَا بِأَبِي شَبَهُ النَّبِيِّ لَيْسَ شَبِيهًا بِعَلِيِّ قَالَ وَعَلِيٌّ يَضْحَكُ.Uqbah bin al-Harith said: I went out with Abu Bakr following 'Asr prayer a few days after the death of the Prophet (ﷺ), and ‘Ali was walking beside him. He passed by al-Hasan bin ‘Ali who was playing with some boys. Abu Bakr carried him on his shoulder, saying: May my father be sacrificed for him, the one who looks like the Prophet (ﷺ) and does not look like 'Ali. He said: And ‘Ali smiled (Musnad Ahmad 40) https://sunnah.com/ahmad:40
A very famous hadith of Ghadeer e Khum clarifies that Prophet Muhammad s.a.w asked his companions to accept that Ali a.s has his own significant position as the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w has.
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْد اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنِي حَجَّاحُ بْنُ الشَّاعِرِ، حَدَّثَنَا شَبَابَةُ، حَدَّثَنِي نُعَيْمُ بْنُ حَكِيمٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو مَرْيَمَ، وَرَجُلٌ، مِنْ جُلَسَاءِ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ يَوْمَ غَدِيرِ خُمٍّ مَنْ كُنْتُ مَوْلَاهُ فَعَلِيٌّ مَوْلَاهُ قَالَ فَزَادَ النَّاسُ بَعْدُ وَالِ مَنْ وَالَاهُ وَعَادِ مَنْ عَادَاهُ.
It was narrated from `Ali (رضي الله عنه) that The Prophet (ﷺ) said on the day of Ghadeer Khumm: `If I am a person`s mawla (friend and supporter) then `Ali is also his mawla.” And the people added after that: `So take as friends those who take him as a friend and take as enemies those who take him as an enemy.” (Musnad Ahmad 1311) https://sunnah.com/ahmad:1311
On the same occasion, Umar r.a. also congratulated Ali a.s for becoming Maula that was described in the other chain. Moreover, the hadith of Zayd Bin Arqam r.a clarifies it that Hazrat Ali r.a. was the very first male who accepted Islam when Prophet Muhammad s.a.w announced the prophethood.
Besides these ahadith, there are several ahadith that clarifies that Ahlul Bait had the separate position than companions. Therefore, it is a food for thought that Muslim Ummah should read these ahadith and ayah of the Holy Quran without discrimination particularly setting aside the discriminatory beliefs due to the association with a particular sect. Accepting superiority of Ali a.s will not downgrade the positions of the companions of the Prophet. Neither this post is claiming about the right of Khalifah after Prophet s.a.w. This post is written to justify the love and association with Maula Ali a.s. because Prophet Muhammad s.a.w said:حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ، رَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ زَيْدَ بْنَ أَرْقَمَ، يَقُولُ أَوَّلُ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ عَلِيٌّ . قَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ مُرَّةَ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لإِبْرَاهِيمَ النَّخَعِيِّ فَأَنْكَرَهُ وَقَالَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقُ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَأَبُو حَمْزَةَ اسْمُهُ طَلْحَةُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ .
Narrated a man from the Ansar: that Zaid bin Al-Arqam said: "The first to accept Islam was 'Ali." 'Amr bin Murrah said: "So I mentioned that to Ibrahim An-Nakha'i, so he rejected that and said: 'The first to accept Islam was Abu Bakr As-Siddiq.'" (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3735) https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:3735
أَخْبَرَنَا وَاصِلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْأَعْلَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ عَنْ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ عَنْ زِرِّ بْنِ حُبَيْشٍ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ عَهِدَ إِلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ لَا يُحِبُّنِي إِلَّا مُؤْمِنٌ وَلَا يَبْغُضُنِي إِلَّا مُنَافِقٌ
It was narrated that 'Ali said: "The Prophet [SAW] made a covenant with me that none would love me but a believer, and none would hate me but a hypocrite." (Sunan an-Nasa'i 5022) https://sunnah.com/nasai:5022
