Self Sacrifice and Serving People in the Behavior and Speeches of Imam Ali

Speaking about religious and social characters – as the best role models – can highly influence on the life of people. In this article, the writer has made efforts to analyze and propagate the culture of self sacrifice by elaborating on characteristics and behavior of Hazrat Imam Ali [The first imam of the Shiite people] as an outstanding role model.

News ID: ۲۳۳۵۶۸

پنجشنبه - ۰۴ فروردين ۲۰۱۰ / 2010 04 January

Speaking about religious and social characters – as the best role models – can highly influence on the life of people.
In this article, the writer has made efforts to analyze and propagate the culture of self sacrifice by elaborating on characteristics and behavior of Hazrat Imam Ali [The first imam of the Shiite people] as an outstanding role model.
The Holy Quran has mentioned Hazrat Ebrahim [Abraham] and Hazrat Mohammad [The Islam Prophet] as the role models (Momtaheneh Surah, Verse 4 and Ahzab Surah, Verse 21) [Every chapter of the Holy Quran is called “Surah”?].
Speaking about the life of Hazrat Ali – the second character of the Islam World – is of high importance; because studying his life strengthens the spirit of piety, innocence, belief, self sacrifice, resistance, bravery, manly behavior and following the truth [God].
There is no limit for doing good works and serving people in Islam. In addition to emphasis on behaving well with human, it has been advised to behave well with the animals.
Serving people and helping them is not special for a particular group of people. Any person, - either Muslim or not Muslim – should benefit from these services.
A person asked Hazrat Mohammad: “Who is more loved by God?”?
Hazrat Mohammad answered: “The person is more loved by God whose benefit to people is more than others.”?
Since 14 centuries ago, Islam has advised and emphasized on looking after the sick people, behaving well with the captives, supporting the prisoners and lonely women, supporting pregnant women and children and especially the disabled and unhealthy children.
Principles in this regard have been included in the social system of Islam. These principles are so pleasant and wonderful that it seems “Religion”? has been completely aware of the current situation of the societies. And all these commands and duties have been issued for human; the human whose materialistic wishes have increased relying on “Machine”? [Industrial Age]; the human whose emotions have decreased in this industrial age; the human who does not think about any thing except him.
We can categorize the services that Imam Ali provided to people as the followings:
1 – Charity payment, benevolence and doing good works
2 – Planting trees and doing farming
3 – Releasing the slaves
4 – Constructing under surface canals for cross of water
5 – Building mosques
6 – Endowments

We have worked out these activities by studying the behavior and speeches of Hazrat Imam Ali.
Hazrat Imam Ali has also made speeches about different dimensions of serving people some of which are as follows:
1 – Right of creatures
2 – Right of the needy people of the society
3 – Value of benevolence
4 – Advice on paying much attention to the orphans and supporting them
5 – Advice on paying attention to the neighbors and helping them
As for the most important sources and references used for compiling this article, I can refer to: “The Holy Quran”?, “Nahj – ol – Balagheh”?, “Behar – ol – Anvar”?, “Osoul –e Kafi”?, “Vasa'el – ol Shia”?, “Nemouneh Commentary on the Holy Quran”?

Written by: Mohammad Mahdi Karimi-nia,
Research Deputy of “Specialized Center of the Islamic Law and Judiciary”?