Guidance from the Prophet (ص)
Imam Hasan (ع) said:
أَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ـ صَلَّی الله عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ ـ إِلَی الْأَنْصَارِ فَأَتَوْهُ، فَقَالَ لَـهُمْ: يَا مَعْشَرَ الأَنْصَارِ! أَلَا أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَی مَا إِنْ تَمَسَّكْتُمْ بِهِ لَنْ تَضِلُّوا بَعْدَهُ؟
قَالُوا: بَلَی يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ!
قَالَ: ﴿ هَذَا عَلِيٌّ، فَأَحِبُّوهُ بِحُبِّي وَكَرِّمُوهُ لِكَرَامَتِي، فَإِنَّ جِبْرَئيلَ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ ـ أَمَرَنِي بِالَّذِي قُلْتُ لَكُمْ عَنِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ﴾
“The Messenger of Allah (ص) sent a messenger to call upon the Ansar and they responded. The Prophet (ص) told them: O the group of Ansar! Shall I not tell you of something that if you hold fast to it, you will never go astray after it?”
They said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah!
He said: “This is Ali (ibn Abi Talib), so love him for the sake of love and friendship with me and honor him for the sake of my dignity, for Gabriel, peace be upon him, has informed me that the Almighty Allah has commanded that I should convey this to you.”
Tabarani, Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabir, V.3, page 88; Abu Na'im Esfahani, Hilyatul Auliya V.1, p. 63; Ibn-Dimashqi, Jawaher al-Matalib, V. 1, page 105; Haythami, Maj’mah al-Zawaid, V.9, page 130-131.
Zaid ibn Arqam says: The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said: “May I guide you to something for which you will not perish if you ask about it? Indeed, your ‘Wali’ (Master) is Allah and your ‘Imam’ (leader) is Ali ibn Abi Talib; So be generous to him and acknowledge him as Gabriel has brought this command to me.”
Ibn Abil-Hadeed, Shahr Nahjul-Balagha, V.9, page 169; Ibn Marduyeh Esfahani, Al-Manaqib, page 120.
