THE BOOK OF THE VIRTUES OF THE COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL, ʿALĪ IBN ABĪ TĀLIB—may Allah be pleased with him

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn—may Allah have mercy on him—said:

Praise be to Allah, who graciously bestows upon us enduring blessings, both outward and inward—the praise of one who knows that his gracious Lord loves praise. To Him belongs all praise in every circumstance. May Allah bless Muhammad the Prophet and his pure family, and grant them peace.

To proceed: Know—may Allah have mercy on us and you—that the Commander of the Faithful, ʿAlī ibn Abī Tālib—may Allah be pleased with him—was honored by Allah, the Most Generous, with the highest distinction. His precedence in good works was immense, his virtues were many, his excellence was tremendous, his stature was exalted, and his rank was noble. He was the brother of the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—his cousin, the husband of Fātima, the father of al-Hasan and al-Husayn, the champion of the Muslims, the one who relieved the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—of distress, the vanquisher of mighty opponents, the just imam, one who renounced this world and sought the Hereafter, who followed the truth and kept far from falsehood, and who held fast to every noble trait,