Imam Ali (as)

by Asiya Janmohamed

Shahr Ramadhan is a month where Allah (swt) has
stated that He has locked Shaytan away and He is
forgiving and merciful. There are many auspicious
nights such as Laylat-ul-Qadr, but it is also filled with
sadness for in this month, we commemorate the
death of Imam Ali (as).

Imam Ali (as) was a great man who had strength,
courage and bravery which every youth should strive
to gain. To this day Imam Ali (as) is a role model for
youths everywhere and we can see the status of
Imam Ali (as) when the Holy Prophet (saw) said, "I
am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate." This shows
the high position of Imam Ali (as) in Islamic history.

Every year on the 21st night of Shahr Ramadhan we
remember Imam Ali (as) and we strive to change our
daily lifestyles and look to him as a guide. Imam Ali
(as) lead a hard lifestyle but he kept his head up
until he was struck with a poisoned sword by Ibn
Muljim (la), three days before his death. He was
struck on the 18th of Ramadhan and suffered three
days of excruciating pain. Imam Ali knew that he was
to depart from this world soon and he had the courage
to face his death for it was his destiny.

I leave you
with some of Imam Ali’s (as) wise words:
"O people, you are, in this world, the target for the arrows
of death. With every drinking there is choking and with
every eating there is suffocation. You do not get any benefit
in it except by foregoing another (benefit) and no one
among you advances in age by a day except by the taking
away of a day from his life. Nothing more is added to his
eating unless it reduces what was there before. No mark
appears for him unless a mark disappears. Nothing new
comes into being unless the new becomes old. No new
crop comes up unless a crop has been reaped. Those
roots are gone whose off-shoots we are. How can an offshoot
live after the departure of its root?"