Islam Guidance

Ibn Abi al-Hadeed said the best thing about this aspect:
The virtues of Imam Ali (A.S) had reached a high standard of greatness, majesty, to extent that it is ugly to account it and explain it. What can I say about a man whose enemies and opponents admitted his merit? They could not deny his attributes nor conceal his virtues. I knew that Umayyad seized the authorities of Islam in east and west of the earth and they worked hard all the tricks to extinguish his light, incite him, claim defects, and disadvantages to him and curse him on all platforms. They threatened his eulogists, locked, and killed them. They prevented narrating any Hadiths about his virtue to the extent that they banned naming anyone after his name. Nevertheless, that raised his status and name. Imam was like musk when it was covered, its perfume spread, like the sun that cannot be covered with hands, and like day. What can I say about a man to whom all virtues were ascribed and he is the peak and fountain of virtues. All those who came after him followed his style and took advantage of his knowledge.
The most honorable knowledge is the divine science, because the honor knowledge is linked to the topic and the topic is the most honorable in existence. From the words of Allah: Holy Quran, Imam Ali quoted, narrated, to Imam Ali ended, and from him began the Mu'tazila. Mu'tazilites are the masters of monotheism, justice and thinking deeply. People – from them – learnt this art because their master is Wasil bin Ata'a who learned from Abu Hashim Ibn Abdul Allah bin Mohammad bin al-Hanafiya.
Abu Hashim is the student of his father and his father is the student of Imam Ali (A.S). While Ash'arism are belong to Abu al-Hassan who is Ali bin Ismail Ibn Abi Bashar al-Ash'ari, a disciple of Abi Ali al-Jebaee and Abu Ali is one of the masters of Mu'tazila. Therefore, Ash'ari – at the end – belongs to the master and teacher of Mu'tazila: Ali Ibn Abi Talib (A.S). The Imami and Zaidi belong clearly to Imam Ali.
What can I say about a man preceded people in faith? He believed in Allah and his prophet, while all people were worshiping stones and denying Allah. No one preceded him in faith. It was narrated that Imam Ali is the first person who believed in Allah and a very few people contradicted that.
If we want to explain his merits and virtue, we shall need volumes to cover them all.

Derived from: Imam Ali Network

The virtues of Imam Ali (A.S)

Abu Sa'id Mansur bin Hussein Abi (422 A.H.) writes thus in his book entitled Nathrud Durar that Ahnaf bin Qays says: "One day I went to see Muawiyah. He had on a wonderful dinner carpet. He brought all sorts of hot, cold, sweet, and sour foods for me. I was wonderstruck. Later, as ordered by him, another dish of a different kind of food was brought in.
I tried my best to find out what it was but did not succeed. I, therefore, enquired about it from Muawiyah. He replied that it consisted of the intestines of a duck which had been filled with the marrow of the sheep and had then been fried in pistachio oil and finally sugar had been sprinkled on it.
I began to weep. He asked me: "Why are you weeping?"
I replied: "I have been reminded of the life of Ali (A.S). I remember that one day I was with him. When the time for dinner and breaking the fast drew near, he asked me to remain with him. A sealed leather case was brought to him.
I asked him what it contained and he told me that there was barley flour in it.
I asked him: "Why have you sealed it? Are you afraid that others may take some of it or do you not wish that anyone else should eat it?"
He replied: "Who else? As a matter of fact I am afraid that my sons Hassan and Hussein may not taint it with butter or olive oil."
I said: "O Commander of the Faithful! Is it prohibited?"
He replied: "No. It is not prohibited. However, it is necessary for the true administrators and rulers to consider themselves to be the most deprived persons so that poverty and distress may not press and squeeze the indigent".
When I had said this, Muawiyah interrupted and said: "You have mentioned a man whose excellence cannot be denied by anyone".

Taken from: Islam Portal.Net