bring me a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and whom Allah and His Messenger love.” Thereupon, Alī ibn Abī Tālib knocked at the door. Anas said, “The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—is occupied.” Alī then returned a second and a third time, whereupon the Prophet said, “O Anas, let him in, for he is the one I meant.” The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—then said, “O Allah, he is beloved to me! O Allah, he is beloved to me!”

The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—also said, “You are to me as Aaron was to Moses.” This was when he left Alī in charge of Medina during the expedition to Tabūk. Some of the hypocrites then made unseemly remarks, so the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said, “I left you behind only to take care of my family. Are you not content to be to me as Aaron was to Moses, except that there is no prophet after me?”

He—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said, “Whoever has me as his patron has Alī as his patron.” He—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—also said to Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—“None but a believer will love you, and none but a hypocrite will hate you.” The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said, “Whoever harms Alī has harmed me.”

Jābir ibn Abd Allāh said, “We, the Ansār, recognized the hypocrites among us only by their hatred of Alī ibn Abī Tālib—may Allah be pleased with him.”

It is related that Abū Abd Allāh al-Hubulī said: I entered upon Umm Salama, and she asked me, “Is the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—being reviled among you?” I replied, “Allah forbid!” She said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—say, ‘Whoever reviles Alī has reviled me.’”

When the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—established bonds of brotherhood among his Companions, Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—was present, but the Prophet did not pair him with anyone. Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—raised the matter with him, and he replied, “By Him who sent me with the truth, I did not