The Noble Prophet
(s.a.w.a.s.) said: “I am the City of knowledge and Ali is its gateway. Ali is
the best judge among you.”
There are numerous complicated cases which perplexed people,
but when referred to Imam Ali (a.s.), he resolved them by his infinite surprising
knowledge. Some of such cases are referred here:
During
the time of Imam Ali (a.s.)’s worldly caliph, two men came to him both
claiming to be the master. Actually, one of them was a slave. Imam Ali (a.s.)
asked them to come back the next day. In the meantime, Imam Ali (a.s.) ordered
his servant Qambar to make two holes in a wall so as to accommodate the human
heads inside it. Next day when they returned, Imam Ali (a.s.) asked them to put
their heads inside the holes of the wall. When this was done, Imam Ali (a.s.) called out to Qambar: “Cut
off the head of the slave.”No sooner the slave heard this order; he pulled out
his head from the hole, while the real master did not move even slightly. Imam
Ali (a.s.) then reprimanded the slave.
During
the time of the second caliph, two women were produced before the Qazi (judge)
of Madinah. Both the women claimed the same child to be their own. He was
puzzled and referred the case to the caliph but he also could decide the case.
Imam Ali (a.s.) was requested to help resolve it. Imam Ali (a.s.) asked the women as to whether they had any objection if
the child was cut into two pieces and one part was given to both of them. One
of the women agreed to it but the other started crying. She said to Imam Ali
(a.s.): “O Abul Hasan! I forego my claim. Give the child to this woman.” Thus
the child was restored to its real mother who started crying.
Once
the husband (black man) of a black woman came to Imam Ali (a.s.) and complained
that his wife gave birth to a red baby, possibly she might have committed adultery
with a man of red complexion. Imam Ali
(a.s.) asked the back man if he ever
had sexual relation with his wife during her menstruation. When the man
replied in affirmative, the Imam said that it was due to that act the baby was
born red!
When
Imam Ali (a.s.) entered the mosque of Kufa, he saw a young man crying. On
inquiry he said: “I have come to you to appeal against Qazi (Judge) Sharih. My
father went on a journey with some persons. When they returned without my
father, I inquired about him. They said that my father died on way back without
leaving any money. I am sure he had money with him. Qazi Sharih, on obtaining
oath that the dying person did not leave any money, released the accused
persons.” The Imam called the accused and ordered them to be tied to the
pillars of the mosque and told them to say loudly Allah-o-Akbar when asked. Qazi
Sharih was also present. Imam Ali (a.s.)
asked the first accused about the complete details their journey, detail of death,
detail of burial etc. Then Imam Ali (a.s.) signaled the crowd to say Takbir and
sent the man to prison. Then he called the second man and repeated the same
questions. The man thought that his companion must have confessed the murder because
of Takbir and confessed the murder. The remaining accused also accepted the
murder charge and all were made to return the looted money and undergo penalty
for the crime.
A
soldier returned from war and spent only six months with his wife and she
became pregnant. The soldier refused to accept the child as his own and lodged
a complaint with the second caliph who ordered the woman to be stoned to death.
By chance Imam Ali (a.s.) was also
present there and he pointed out to the caliph that the Glorious Qur’an had
fixed the time of pregnancy and nursing of a child as thirty months and at
another place the time of nursing as complete two years. These two years when
deducted from the combined time of pregnancy and nursing remained only six months,
i.e. the minimum. Hearing this caliph said: “Had not there be Ali, Omar would
have gone to dust!”
