24th of Thou Al-Hijja: The Day of Moubahala


The greatest virtue of Ameer Al-Mo’mineen Imam Ali (pbuh) that is mentioned in the Quran (Al-Mubahala)

Al-Maamoun said to Imam Al-Rida (pbuh):” Tell me about the greatest virtue of Ameer Al-Mo’mineen (pbuh)that is mentioned in the Quran.”Al-Rida (pbuh) said:” There is his virtue in Al-Mobahala; Allah Almighty said:{ If any one disputes in this matter with you, now after knowledge has come upon you, say: "Come! Let us gather together, our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves: Then let us earnestly pray, and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie!" Therefore, the Messenger of Allah called Al-Hasan and Al-Hussein (pbut) who were his sons; he called Fatima (pbuh) who was in this case his ‘women’ and he called Ameer Al-Mo’mineen (pbuh) who was his Self, according to the statement of Allah Almighty. It is confirmed that not one creation of Allah is more glorious and greater than the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), thus it is obligatory that there is no one greater than the Self of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), according to the statement of Allah.Al-Maamoun said:” Didn’t Allah mention ‘sons’ in the plural form put the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) only called his two sons and He also mentioned ‘women’ in the plural form but the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) only called his daughter? Why isn’t it possible that He mentioned calling his Self, Actually meaning his Self and not anyone else? Thus, Ameer Al-Mo’mineen will not have that virtue you have mentioned. Al-Rida (pbuh) said:”What you said is not true. That is because when you call you are calling for someone else and it you order, you are ordering someone else. Hence, it cannot be actually true that a person calls his own Self as he cannot actually order his own Self. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) didn’t call any man in the rivalry of prayer (Al-Mobahala) but Ameer Al-Mo’mineen (pbuh). Thus, he (pbuh) confirmed that he is his Self that Allah Almighty mentioned in His Book which was His statement that He has revealed.Thus, Al-Maamoun said:” If the answer is given, then the question will be eliminated.”

الفصول المختارة للمفيد : ص 17 ـ 18 ، بحار الاَنوار للمجلسي : ج 10 ص 350 ـ 351 ح10.
 Al-Fousoul Al-Mokhtara p.17-18, Al-Bihar vol.10 p.350

Inspected & Translated by Sayyid Shouhadaa's (A.S) Center for Islamic Research
تحقيق و ترجمة مركز سيد الشهداء (ع) للبحوث الاسلامية