‘Ali was the son of Abu Talib, the Prophet’s uncle. His mother was Fatimah bint ‘Asad, the first Hashimite woman born to a Hashimite man.
‘Ali is one of the ten Companions who were given the glad tidings of Paradise, the first young boy to accept Islam and one of the six members of the Shooraa (advisory) Council.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said regarding him, “He who I regard a friend is also a friend of ‘Ali. O Allah! Treat as a friend whoever regards ‘Ali a friend and treat as enemy whoever regards him an enemy.”
He also told him, “None loves you but a believer and none hates you but a hypocrite.”
Abu Nu’aym (the biographist) introduced him as follows,
“He is the leader of the people, ardent follower of the Prophet and the Creator’s beloved. He is the door of knowledge and sciences, the standard of the rightly-guided, light of the obedient, friend of the righteous and the leader of the just rulers. He was among the earliest ones to respond to the call of Islam, the strongest of them in justice and certainty, the greatest of them in intelligence and the fullest of them in knowledge. He is the adornment of the knowledgeable and the model of the pious.
He taught the realities of Tawheed. He had an intelligent mind, the inquisitive tongue, a comprehending ear and fulfilled the covenant. He repelled the perfidious, subdued the unjust and defeated the apostate.”
‘Ali was born ten years before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was commissioned a Prophet. He grew up in his house, so his mental faculties responded to the reality of Prophethood and its greatness, and he learnt from the Prophet (peace be upon him) truthfulness in words, strong heart and eloquence. He took after the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in his lofty and sublime qualities.
When the noble Prophet (peace be upon him) was commissioned, ‘Ali was among the first persons to benefit from this divine light. He was very happy with this gracious call, and he was the first Muslim to pray with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
Since the beginning of Prophetic mission, signs of wisdom started to manifest in the personality of ‘Ali. He played a heroic role on the day of the Prophet’s migration to Madeenah. He was also among the frontline fighters in the way of Allah, holding the standard in every battle.
On the day of the Battle of Badr, he also played an extremely laudable role. He did the same during the Battle of Uhud. In the Battle of Khandaq (the Trench), he killed the hero of the polytheists, ‘Umar ibn Wudd al-‘Amiri. ‘Ali was the hero of the war in the Battle of Khaybar.
He was rightly titled, ‘Judge of the Ummah’ and the ‘Hero of Islam’.