1. Birth to Bi‘that
Amīru ’l-Mu’minīn[40]‘Alī—upon whom be peace— wasborn in the
holyKa’bah.‘Abbāsbin‘Abdu‘l-Muttalibandothersweresittingbythe
Ka’bahwhentheysawFātimabintAsadcometotheKa’bahandprayed
toGodtomakeherpregnancyeasyforher.Nosoonerhadshefinished
theprayerwhenthewalloftheKa‘bahsplitbyasolemnmiracleandFā-
timaenteredinsidetheKa‘bahandthesplitareaofthewallreturnedto
itsnormalposition.‘AbbāsandothersflockedtothedooroftheKa‘bah
andtriedtoopenitbutinvain.Theyrealizedthatthiswasanactofmi-
raculous nature and so they left the door alone.
Afterthreedays,FātimabintAsademergedfromtheKa‘bahcarrying
theinfant‘Alīinherarms.Thiswastenyearsbeforethecommencement
of the prophetic mission (bi’that).
Forthefirstsixyears,‘AlīwasraisedbyhisfatherAbuTālibwhoalso
wasguardianoftheProphetofIslam.Whenhewassixyearsold,afam-
ineoccurredinandaroundMecca.TheProphetandhisotherunclesde-
cidedtohelpAbuTālibbysharingtheburdenofraisingthelatter’ssons.
‘AlīwasrequestedbytheProphettoleavehisfather’shouseandcometo
thehouseofhiscousin.Therehewasplaceddirectlyundertheguardi-
anship and custody of the Holy Prophet.
‘AlīdescribesthetimeofchildhoodhespentwiththeProphet inthe
followingwords:“Certainly,youknowmypositionofclosekinshipand
special relationship with the Prophet of Allah—peace andblessings of
Allahbeuponhimandhisdescendants.WhenIwasonlyachildhetook
chargeofme.Heusedtopressmetohischestandlaymebesidehimin
hisbed,bring hisbodyclosetomineandmakemesmellhissmell.He
usedtochew[thefood]andthenfeedmewithit.Hefoundnolieinmy
speaking,norweaknessinanyact.Fromthetimeofhisweaning,Allah
hadputamightyangelwithhimtotakehimalongthepathofhighchar-
acterandgoodbehaviourthroughdayandnight,whileIusedtofollow
him like a young camel following in the footprints of its mother.”[41]