O ‘Ali, certainly Allah commanded me to warn

حدثنا ابن حميد قال حدثنا سلمة قال حدثني محمد بن إسحاق عن عبد الغفار بن القاسم عن المنهال بن عمرو عن عبد الله بن الحارث بن نوفل بن الحارث بن عبد المطلب عن عبد الله بن عباس عن علي بن أبي طالب قال لما نزلت هذه الآية على رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم وَأَنذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الْأَقْرَبِينَ دعاني رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم فقال لي يا علي إن الله أمرني أن أنذر عشيرتي الأقربين فضقت بذلك ذرعا و عرفت أني متى أناديهم بهذا الأمر أرى منهم ما أكره فصمت عليها حتى جاءني جبريل فقال يا محمد إنك إن لم تفعل ما تؤمر به سيعذبك ربك فاصنع لنا صاعا من طعام و اجعل عليه رجل شاة و أملأ لنا عسا من لبن و اجمع لي بني عبد المطلب حتى أكلمهم و أبلغهم ما أمرت به ففعلت ما أمرني به ثم دعوتهم له و هم يومئذ أربعون رجلا يزيدون رجلا أو ينقصونه فيهم أعمامه أبو طالب و حمزة و العباس و أبو لهب فلما اجتمعوا إليه دعاني بالطعام الذي صنعت لهم فجئت به فلما وضعته تناول رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم حذية من اللحم فشقها بأسنانه ثم ألقاها في نواحي الصحفة ثم قال خذوا بسم الله فأكل القوم حتى ما لهم بشيء حاجة و ما أرى إلا موضع أيديهم و أيم الله الذي نفس علي بيده و إن كان الرجل الواحد منهم ليأكل ما قدمت لجميعهم ثم قال اسق القوم فجئتهم بذلك العس فشربوا منه حتى رووا منه جميعا و أيم الله إن كان الرجل الواحد منهم ليشرب مثله فلما أراد رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم أن يكلمهم بدره أبو لهب إلى الكلام فقال لقد سحركم صاحبكم فتفرق القوم و لم يكلمهم رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم فقال الغد يا علي إن هذا الرجل إلى ما قد سمعت من القول فتفرق القوم قبل أن أكلمهم فعد لنا من الطعام بمثل ما صنعت ثم اجمعهم ألي قال ففعلت ثم جمعتهم ثم دعاني بالطعام فقربته لهم ففعل ما فعل بالأمس فأكلوا حتى ما لهم بشيء حاجة ثم قال اسقهم فجئتهم بذلك العس فشربوا حتى رووا منه جميعا ثم تكلم رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم فقال يا بني عبد المطلب أي والله ما أعلم شابا من العرب جاء قومه بأفضل مما جئتكم به إني قد جئتكم بخير الدنيا و الآخرة و إن ربي أمرني أن أدعوكم فأيكم يؤازرني على هذا الأمر على أن يكون أخي و وصيتي و خليفتي فيكم فأحجم القوم عنها جميعا رجاء و إني لأحدثهم سنا و أرمصهم عينا و أعظمهم بطنا و أحمشهم ساقا فقلت أنا يا نبي الله أكون وزيرك عليه فأخذ برقبتي ثم قال هذا أخي و وصيتي و خليفتي فيكم فاسمعوا له و أطيعوا فقام القوم يضحكون و يقولون لأبي طالب قد أمرك أن تسمع لعلي و تطيع

Ibn Humaid narrated to us saying―Salamah narrated to us saying―Muhammad ibn Ishaq narrated to me from―’Abdul Ghaffar ibn al Qasim from―al Minhal ibn ‘Amr from―’Abdullah ibn al Harith ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib from―’Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas from―’Ali ibn Abi Talib:

When this verse was revealed upon Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: And warn, [O Muhammad], your closest kindred^[1] Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam summoned me and said to me, “O ‘Ali, Allah has commanded me to warn my closest kindred. I was afraid due to this and I realised that when I will call them to this matter, I will see something displeasing from their side. So I remained quiet until Jibril came to me and said, ‘O Muhammad! If you do not carry out the command you were given, your Rabb will soon punish you.’ So prepare for us a sa’ of food and place upon it a sheep’s leg and fill for us a large cup of milk and gather for me the sons of ‘Abdul Muttalib so that I might speak to them and convey to them.”

I did what he commanded me. I then invited them. That day they were approximately forty men. Among them were his uncles Abu Talib, Hamzah, ‘Abbas, and Abu Lahab. When they gathered, he called me with the food that I had prepared for them. Accordingly, I brought it. After placing it, Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam took the leg of meat and tore it with his teeth and then put it in the sides of the plate and then said: Eat in the name of Allah. They ate like they had never seen food before. I could only see their hands. By Allah’s oath in whose hands is ‘Ali’s life, one of them would have eaten what I presented for all. He then told me to give them drink. I brought the large cup and they drank from it until they all were satiated. By Allah, one man of them could have drank as much alone. When Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam intended to speak to them, Abu Lahab beat him to speak and said, “Your friend indeed casted magic on you.”

The people left and Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam did not speak to them. He said, “Tomorrow, O ‘Ali. This man said what you heard so they left before I could speak to them. So prepare again food like you prepared and then gather them by me.”

I complied and gathered them. He then told me to bring the food and I brought it close to them. He did just as he did the day before. They ate like they had never seen food before. He then said, “Give them to drink.” I brought that large cup and they drank to their fill.

Then Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam spoke and said, “O sons of ‘Abdul Muttalib! By Allah, I do not know any youth from the Arabs who has brought to his nation something superior to what I have brought you. I have brought you the best of the world and the Hereafter. My Rabb commanded me to invite you. So whoever supports me in this affair, will become my brother, wasi, and khalifah among you.”

The entire crowd withdrew from it hopeful. I was the youngest of them in age, with most white secretion in my eye, with the biggest belly, and meatiest shin. I said, “O prophet of Allah, I will be your vizier over it.”

Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam caught hold of my neck and said, “This is my brother, wasi, and khalifah among you, so listen and obey him.”

The people stood up laughing and telling Abu Talib, “He has ordered you to listen to and obey ‘Ali.”

The narration is mawdu’. Al Tabari narrated it.^[2]

‘Abdul Ghaffar ibn Qasim al Kufi appears.

Al Daraqutni labelled him matruk (suspected of forgery).
Ibn al Madini and Abu Dawood accused him of fabricating hadith.^[3]
Al Dhahabi comments, “A Rafidi. Unreliable.”^[4]
Hafiz made similar comments in his tafsir, “‘Abdul Ghaffar ibn Qasim is the sole narrator of the start. He is matruk, a kadhab, and a shia. ‘Ali ibn al Madini and others have accused him of concocting hadith. The Imams have labelled him da’if.”^[5]

Next⇒ O ‘Ali, you are the first believer to embrace Islam

[1] Surah al Shu’ara’: 214.

[2] Tarikh al Tabari vol. 1 pg. 542.

[3] Mujam Asami al Ruwat vol. 2 pg. 545.

[4] Mizan al I’tidal vol. 2 pg. 640.

[5] Tafsir al Qur’an al ‘Azim vol. 6 pg. 231.

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