nearest to Allah and the cherubic angels, when they heard of Alī’s virtues and his distinctive qualities (1), and heard (2) your words concerning him, ‘You are to me as Aaron was to Moses, except that there will be no prophet after me,’ longed to see Alī. Allah Most High therefore created for them an angel in Alī’s likeness. Whenever they longed to see Alī (3), they would come (4) to that place, and it was as though they had seen Alī.’”
Ibn Abbās related:
“The Chosen One—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—once said while full of vigor, ‘I am the hero, son of the hero and brother of the hero.’”
He said: His words, “I am the hero,” mean (5) that he is the hero of the Arabs (6). By “son of the hero,” he meant Abraham (7), in accordance with the words of Allah Most High:
“We heard a young man, called Abraham, speaking ill of them.”
[Surah al-Anbiyā: 60]
By “brother of the hero,” he meant Alī. This is also the meaning of Gabriel’s words on (8) the day of Badr, when he ascended to heaven rejoicing (9) and saying (10):
“There is no sword but Dhu al-Fiqār, and no hero but Alī.”