Imam Ali (as) is among the most important personalities in Islam. He is the 4th Rightly Guided calipah of the Ummah and Spiritual heir of Prophet (sawas). Through him there are 40 sufi Tariqahs traced and one sufi Tariqh which traces to Abu Bakr (ra). There are many parts of Imam Ali's (as) history which are not discussed about in our local masjids. Imam Ali's (as) history is actually very similar to Prophet Isa's (as) history. The reason is both personalities were surounded by three groups. Two of these three groups were extreme. One extreme group loved them too much and one group hated them. Imam Ali (as) life was so similar to Prophet Isa's (as) that the RasoolAllah (sawas) mentioned to Imam Ali (as) that he is like Prophet Isa (as). The reason being is since Imam Ali (as) will come across people who hate him and people who love to the extreme.
The hadith is recorded in Imam Ahmad's Musnad
Narrated Imam Ali bin Abu-Talib (a.s) said: "The Messenger of Allah called me and told me: 'You are alike with Jesus, Yahood hated him till they slandered his mother, and Nasaara loved him till they put him in the position that is not for him.' With regard to me, two categories of people will be ruined, namely he who loves me too much and the love takes him away from rightfulness, and he who hates me too much and the hatred takes him away from rightfulness. Verily, I am not a prophet, and there is nothing revealed to me. But I work with the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of his Prophet (pbuh) as much as I can. So whatever I have asked you in regard of obeying Allah, it is your duty to obey me whether you like it or not." [Ahmad]
The same Hadith is also found in al Hakim's in Mustadrak
As extremes existed in Prophet Isa's (as) time, likewise these type of extremes existed during Imam Ali (as) time as well. A group of people loved Imam Ali (as) so much that they said he declared him to be a God. Another group hated him so much that they began cursing him, declared him as evil being, and even persecuted him.
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