Sayyiduna wa Mawlana al-Imam Ali

– The Gate of Knowledge and the Legacy of the Prophet ﷺ –

Sayyiduna ʿAli was the first boy to embrace Islam, doing so at the age of only ten. He grew up in the household of the Prophet ﷺ and became one of the Prophet’s closest Companions and most trusted confidants.

The Prophet ﷺ said about him:

• “I am the city of knowledge, and ʿAli is its gate.”
  This indicates that Sayyiduna ʿAli received the full spiritual inheritance of the Prophet ﷺ. Whoever seeks the true knowledge of the Prophet ﷺ must approach it through ʿAlī.
  The Prophet ﷺ also said:
• “You are to me as Hārūn was to Musa, except that there is no prophet after me. If there were to be one, it would be you.”
  With this, the Prophet ﷺ emphasized ʿAli’s unique position as his closest helper and representative, just as Harun was to Musa.
  He ﷺ further said:
• “ʿAli is from me, and I am from ʿAli. He alone is able to represent me. He is my son and my cousin.”
  These statements express the deep spiritual bond between them.
  

We revere Sayyiduna ʿAli as the root of inner (bāṭinī) knowledge. He was the first to whom the Prophet ﷺ entrusted the hidden secrets of closeness to Allah.

Description of Sayyiduna ʿAli
It is reported that Sayyiduna ʿAli was of medium height, with a strong build, a broad beard, and a slightly receding hairline. His eyes were almond-shaped and brown. Despite his physical strength, he was known for his gentleness, his sense of justice, and his profound God-consciousness.

His Maqam and His Passing
Only the great Awliyāʾ (saints) are said to know the true maqam of Sayyiduna ʿAli. It is narrated that he was buried in a concealed location; after his burial, rice was sown over his grave.

He passed away at the age of 63 on the 17th of Ramadan in the year 40 after the Hijra. His sons, Sayyiduna Hasan, Sayyiduna Husain, and Sayyiduna Jaʿfar, performed the ritual washing of his body prior to the burial.

Spiritual Legacy
Among the special supplications transmitted from Sayyiduna ʿAli is al-Hizbu’s-Saifi (the Supplication of the Sword). This powerful prayer of protection is said to be accompanied by 70,000 angels who guard the one who recites it. In the Burhaniya tradition, it is regarded as a means of strengthening faith, warding off harm, and opening the heart.

Significance for the Tariqa Burhaniya
Sayyiduna ʿAli is regarded as the Gate of Wilāya (friendship with Allah). The path of inner knowledge (Maʿrifa) begins with his transmission of the Prophetic light ﷺ. Sheikh Sayyid Ibrahim ad-Dusuqi and Sheikh Sayyid Muhammad Osman Abduh al-Burhani repeatedly emphasized that the spiritual path remains incomplete without love for and attachment to Sayyiduna ʿAli.

Whoever truly seeks to reach the Prophet ﷺ
passes through the gate that is Sayyiduna ʿAli,
and from there proceeds to Sayyiduna Hasan,
Sayyiduna Husain, and the entirety of the Ahl al-Bayt.