Time has not been able to collect different aspects of Imam Ali’s personality although centuries have elapsed and ages are passed.

Scientists, devotees, philosophers, sufis, theosophers and ascetics have followed their own ways towards knowing him and, in that difficult path, they fell, rose again, went on and on and finally they reached behind the walls of his world but not beyond the walls. The gateway to his world is not open for the earthly human beings, therefore no one really knows how his world looks like!
No one has ever met him in his specific world to report about the depth of his existence, even Abu Zar, Ammar, or any other person who has tried to praise him by the most attractive and beautiful sentences.
Those who have written books about him tried to interpret the secrets of some other world in this world, so they made an image of him according to their own findings and imagination, and then they tried to make a beautiful image of him; beautiful and heavenly!

Caravans of people have reached the gateways during the past fourteen centuries, they stopped there, commenced invocations, days after days and years after years, and then they heard his heavenly voice from the city of Kufa saying:
“Oath to God! For me, this worthless pair of shoes is much more valued than governing you people, Save that, I raise a righteous deed or destroy an invalid percept”.

His very short reign in Kufa and transient life in this world, has agitated the souls of those who were sitting behind the gateway and as a result Kufa has looked like the biggest and the most beautiful and sacred place.
They have seen Kufa as a very far reaching zenith over which a hawk is wheeling high, scanning from top to make the entire creatures, the different races of human beings of different natures and colors, stand in an orderly queue towards monotheism.

This is just a part of the miracle that his influential eyes show. Is it not true that he is of his own world? And is it not true that in his world the eyes, the ears and the tongue perform in a different manner? And is it not right that his days and nights, months and years have their own percept?

First of all: the unique characters!

1- Oh Ali, you are the first one who believed in the Prophet and the only one who was with him in Hera cave.
2- Oh Ali, you are the first and the only one who was born in Kaba.
3- Oh Ali, you are the only one among the companions whose name was chosen by God.
4- Oh Ali, you are the first one who prayed with the Prophet.
5- Oh Ali, you are the first one who prayed at the Prophet’s sacred and clean corpse.
6- Oh Ali, you are the only one among the companions who never associated others with Allah.
7- Oh Ali, it is only you who put his foot on the Prophet’s shoulder, in Kaba, and broke the idols.
8- Oh Ali, you are the first deputy and executor of the will of the Prophet.
9- Oh Ali, you are the first and the only one who collected verses of Quran according to the order of their descent and with all its characteristics under Prophet’s supervision.
10- Oh Ali, there was no one equivalent or peer to the Holy Zahra if you were not there.
11- Oh Ali, it is only you whose sons were called the Prophet’s sons in the holy Quran.
12- Oh Ali, it is only you that the holy Prophet chose as his own brother.
13- Oh Ali, you are the only one who never ran away from any battlefield and no one ever challenged you undefeated.
14- Oh Ali, you are the only one whose armor did not have any back protection.
15- Oh Ali, you are the only one who attended all the holy wars together with the holy Prophet except in the battle of Tabook that you had to stay to stop the hypocrite’s sedition and the troops of Islam returned home safely without any clashes.
16- Oh Ali, it was only you who pull out Khaybar door while many people could not even move that door collectively.
17- Oh Ali, it is only you for whom the holy Prophet took allegiance for your leadership from 120,000 people, and all of them saluted you as the Commander of the Faithful (Amir-al-Moamenin).
18- Oh Ali, you are the only one that the holy prophet’s Progeny were through him.
19- Oh Ali, you are the only one whose love is on top of the believers’ evaluation sheet.
20- Oh Ali, you are the only one who made recommendations for his own killer: give him good food and make his place nice and easy, he should eat what I eat and he should drink what I drink.

Your Unique Characters are endless. Now some of your Twos :

21- Oh Ali, you are the one that no one recognized, save for two: Allah the almighty and the holy Prophet.
22- Oh Ali, you and the holy Prophet are the two fathers of this nation.
23- Oh Ali, when you were to choose between two things you always chose the harder one.
24- Oh Ali, you are the father of the two masters of the youngsters in heaven.
25- Oh Ali, you are one of the two trusts that the holy Prophet left among the nation for their salvation against the evil path.
26- Oh Ali, the door of your home and the holy Prophet’s door were the only two doors that were left open towards the mosque, while all the other doors had to be closed.
27- Oh Ali, you are the one whose sword impact in Khandagh war was considered more valuable than the worship of humans and Jins.
28- Oh Ali, you are called the one who possessed opposing characters, being warrior and kind, generous and content, pious and politician, devotee and hard-worker, … Is there an end to that?

Your twos are also endless, now only three of your threes:

29- Oh Ali, you were taken to the holy Prophet’s house when you were only three years old and you were the third of them.
30- Oh Ali, you and your family are the great people who took fast three days without having anything to eat because all the food was donated to the poor, the orphan and the captive.
31- Oh Ali, the holy Prophet said: three things have been bestowed to you that I have not been given: a father in law like the Prophet, a wife like Fatimah and offspring like Hassan and Hussain.

Four reminiscent from four holy wars
32- Oh Ali, on the climax of your devotion and support towards the holy prophet when everybody had run away in Ohod war the angels of Allah praised you by these words: “ there is no sword but Zolfaghar( Ali’s sword) , there is no real man except Ali”.
33- Oh Ali, when in Ahzab War, you were faced with Amer ibn Abdavad, The holy prophet said: “Faith in its totality is confronted with infidelity in its totality”. And it was you who made Muslims got rid of the most powerful Arab warrior and caused Quraish to forget about attacking Muslims any more.
34- Oh Ali, after embarrassing running away of those two commanders in Khaybar War, It was about you that the holy prophet said: “Tomorrow I will pass the flag to the person whom Allah and his messenger love and he loves them in return. He has never escaped and it is he who attacks repeatedly”
35- Oh Ali, after your victory in Zatol salasel war, the holy prophet said: “ if I were not afraid that a group of my nation say about you the same things that the Christians said about Jesus Christ the son of Mary, I would have said something about you that whenever you pass them by they would take the your step dust as sacred . Five Quranic orders about you
36- Oh Ali, you and your cleansed offspring are the right path that every Muslim has to ask 10 times a day to be guided towards it.
37- Oh Ali, you and your cleansed offspring are the gates towards Allah through which all other human beings must pass.
38- Oh Ali, you and your cleansed offspring are the ones that people are summoned to ask them questions.
39- Oh Ali, you and your cleansed offspring are the righteous people that Muslims are ordered to follow .
40- Oh Ali, you and your cleansed offspring are the virtuous ones whose love is counted as the compensation for the messenger ship. Six aspects of your life in Quran
41- Oh Ali, you are the only pious who was introduced by Allah as the holy prophet’s soul in Mobahela event.
42- Oh Ali, you are the only devotee who jeopardized his life by sleeping in prophet’s bed and caused him travel safely and the Almighty Allah praised his devotion.
43- Oh Ali, you are the chosen one who gave his ring as charity to the poor and The Almighty Allah called you as the Commander of the faithful.
44- Oh Ali, By your and your progeny’s leadership the religion became completed and the blessings were entirely bestowed upon people.
45- Oh Ali, you are the only blissful who by Allah’s order paid alms ten times to whisper with the holy prophet, while those who used to whisper with him continuously did not pay a single Derham after this decree was sentenced.
46- Oh Ali, when two men asked whether the value of providing water to the pilgrims was higher than repairing the Masjid –al-haram, The Almighty Allah called your deed to be of higher value than those two. The seven Quranic introductions about you ,although there was no eulogy sent down unless it was about you.
47- Oh Ali, you and your children are the honorables to whom the obedience is obligatory, as it is with Allah and his messenger.
48- Oh Ali, the prophecy of the holy prophet would have not been fulfilled, had he not announced your leadership.
49- Oh Ali, you are of the virtuous family about whom the Almighty Allah has decreed to be cleansed.
50- Oh Ali, you are the knowledgeable that can distinguish between the explicit words of revelations and the ambiguous ones.
51- Oh Ali, you are the wise man who possesses the knowledge of Quran.
52- Oh Ali, you are the pure one that the Almighty Allah introduced you as the protector of the holy prophet in front of the traitor wives of his.
53- Oh Ali, your authority is the great gift about which people are going to be asked in the hereafter. Eight words from the holy prophet, Although he said: “ if all the sea water change into ink and trees change into pens, they will not be able to write your virtues”.
54- Oh Ali, The holy prophet said about you: “Your relationship with me is the same as Harun’s with Moses save that there would be no prophet after me”.
55- Oh Ali, The holy prophet said about you: “My progeny is like the Noah’s ship, whosoever gets on board will be saved and whosoever refuses will be perished.”
56- Oh Ali, The holy prophet said about you: “ I am the city of knowledge and Ali is the gate of it, whoever wills to get inside the city must get through the gate.”
57- Oh Ali, The holy prophet said about you: “ Among my nation, you are like the Hottah gate in Children of Isreal”( the gate they had to go through humbly and ask for Allah’s forgiveness, so may Allah forgive them) “
58- Oh Ali, The holy prophet said about you: “Whoever I am his superior, Ali is his superior, too. ( Ali has got the same authority as I have)”
59- Oh Ali, The holy prophet said about you: “ Oh People, use your wisdom in Quran… oath to Allah, The insights and interpretations do not reveal the truth of it, except this man whose hand I have raised… It is Ali Ibn Abitalib”
60- Oh Ali, The holy prophet said about you: “ You hear what I hear, you see what I see, but you are not a prophet”
61- Oh Ali, The holy prophet said about you: “ Whoever wills to look at Adam and his knowledge, to Noah and his God fearing, to Abraham and his patience, to Moses and his solemnity, and to Jesus and his worship, he should therefore look at Ali”. Ali in Ali’s words
62- Oh Ali, you said: “ Ask me before you lose me, I know the heaven paths better than the earth’s.”
63- Oh Ali, you said: “ If all the seven lands and the heavens are given to me to disobey Allah and take away a piece of barely peel from an ant unjustly, I will not do that.”
64- Oh Ali, you said: “ I am not created to search for food in the trash like an animal who is unaware about its fate .”
65- Oh Ali, you said: “ Do not think that I exaggerate myself and If I am told true words It will be hard on me “
66- Oh Ali, you said: “if I wanted to, I could get nice honey and bread and silk dresses (Expensive ones), but is it possible for my own vain desires to take over me?!”
67- Oh Ali, you said: “ there has been no verse neither at nights nor during day, neither in skies nor on earth, neither about the world nor about the hereafter, neither in desert nor on mountains, neither in light nor in darkness, unless the holy prophet told me that and taught me the place and the cause of disclosure until the resurrection day”
68- Oh Ali, you said: “This is Quran , make it talk to you it will never do that, but I will tell you about it.”
69- Oh Ali, you said: “I complain to Allah about the people who live in ignorance and die as astray. Among them there is nothing less valued than Quran when reciting it, and nothing more valuable than that when they distort it”
70- Oh Ali, you said: “ I want you for Allah’s sake and you want me for your own sake”
71- Oh Ali, you said: “ Why should I oppress anybody while my body will become old very fast and its stay in soil will be elongated”
72- Oh Ali, you said: “ Do not deal with me like those who save their words and veil the truth when they are faced with angry people”
73- Oh Ali, you said: “I came to you when I had this dress, this bag and this horse. If I leave you(in a rich state) I will be a traitor”.
74- Oh Ali, you said: “Should I be happy just because I am called the Commander of the Faithful and do not sympathize with the poeple and not be their model while they have hard time.”
75- Oh Ali, you said: “The household of the prophet are the place of Allah’s secret, his knowledge trunk, the source of his decree, the treasure of his books, and the mountains of his religion…no one from among this nation can be compared with the household of the prophet. Those who have enjoyed the gift of their being can not be known as equal to them.”
76- Oh Ali, you prayed Allah by these words: “Oh God, I did not worship you because of fear from your chastisement or desire towards your paradise. I did worship you because I found that you deserve to be worshipped.”
77- Oh Ali, you are the one who said: “If all the covers are unveiled , my certitude shall not be increased.”
78- Oh Ali, you said: “The number of my friends does not increase my honor and their outspread does not fear me.”
79- Oh Ali! When they criticized you because of your old dress, you said: “The faithful will follow it, the hearts will be humble, the vain desires will be destroyed and I will be better saved from arrogance.” Learn from Ali
80- Oh Ali, you said: “Do not fear from the lack of companions when you are in the right path, because people are gathered around a dinning table at which its hunger is long and its amplitude is short.”
81- Oh Ali, you said: “Death is important in the eyes of world lovers and the pious do care about their heart’s death”.
82- Oh Ali, you said: “The biggest defect is that you find in others while it can be found in you as well.”
83- Oh Ali, you said: “If you do not know from where you have come you will not know to where you are going”.
84- Oh Ali, you said: “Whoever puts himself in the position of leadership, he should teach himself before teaching others.”
85- Oh Ali, you said: “Behave in such a way that if you die people cry for you and if you live they love you.”
86- Oh Ali, you said: “ Right, is the most widespread thing when it is being defined, and is the most limited thing when it is being justly implemented”
87- Oh Ali, you said: “You are not excused of crossing over the small rights because of being engaged in big jobs.”
88- Oh Ali, you said: “I am surprised of a person who searches for a lost item, while he has lost himself and still not looking for it.”
89- Oh Ali, you said: “ People will be rewarded for what they have already sent and will travel to what he has saved for himself “
90- Oh Ali, you said: “It is enough for being unwise that one does not recognizes his value”.
91- Oh Ali, you said: “you are living in a place from where you do not know when you are leaving”.
92- Oh Ali, you said: “Do you hope that God will reward you in the manner that he rewards the humbles, while you are arrogant towards him”.
93- Oh Ali, you said: “God fearing is that if all your deeds are placed in a tray and is turned round the world before people’s eyes, there is not a single deed for which you become ashamed.”
94- Oh Ali, you said: “Resurrection is in front of you and death is pushing you from behind, be agile to reach, truly those who have already gone they are waiting for you.”
95- Oh Ali, you said: “The number of water drops, the stars, the dusts that are scattered in the air by wind, walking of an ant on a stone and the small ant’s place where it rests in the dark of the night.. are not absent in God’s knowledge.”
96- Oh Ali, you said: “The one for whom being advised towards justice and truth is hard, acting according to justices is even harder.”
97- Oh Ali, you said: “Avoid disobeying God in loneliness, because the one who witnesses is the same one who judges”.
98- Oh Ali, you said: “According to God’s religion you are brothers, there is nothing that separates you from each other except, the pollution from inside you, and your filthy intents. This is why you do not rush to help each other, and are not propitious to each other, do not donate among each other and do not love each other.”
99- Oh Ali, when some people tried to accompany you , you said: “ Do not accompany me, because the sound of shoes ( when some one is followed) will spoil man’s heart.
100- Oh Ali, you said: “The world is a passage not a place to lodge”.
101- Oh Ali, you said: “Opportunities pass by you like cloud s (that pass over you) therefore make the best of them”.
102- Oh Ali, you said: “When you defeat your enemy, to be thankful to God, forgive them”. Oh My leader
103- Oh Ali, Any one who takes you as leader will be salvated .:
104- Oh Ali, You are the one that during your reign you never built anything for yourself, never took any land for yourself, and never collected any money for yourself”.
105- Oh Ali, you are the one who was murdered by the worst man among human being, at the altar of worship.”
106- Oh Ali, In spite that Moavieh forbidden transferring your excellence to the others, and ordered to curse at the beginning and at the end of any speech and after any prayer , when he heard about your martyrdom said: “Theology and knowledge is cut by Ali Ibn Abitalib’s death , (Oh Ali) you are like shining sun that can not be covered by palm of hand”.
107- Oh Ali, in spite that by the decree of the regime , your excellences were wrongly attributed to the others, and wrong news were distributed about you, you are like Moshk ( A kind of perfume) that the more they cover you the more your fragrance will be revealed.”
108- Oh Ali, when a speaker at Friday prayer forgot to curse you , he stopped and cursed you a thousand times on his way back and then they built a Mosque at that same place, in spite of all these, still you are like a day light that if a person was ot able to see that there are still very many eyes that can see it.”
109- Oh Ali, Although your excellences were denied by your enemies because of their enmity and heartburn, and were keep hidden by your friends because of their fear, your virtues have been distributed throughout east and west. This is because your personality is higher than stars, and this is the light characteristics which remain pure and cleansed and dust can not stain nor can it pollute that.
Oh Ali!
110- We know that for raising the flag of religion and justice over the world’s cities , your son Mahdi (as) will come and we wish to see that day when his just regime will take over the world and people will have a handful of your scented gifts.

References:
1- Nahj- Al- Balaghah , S192: Al-savaegh-al Mohraghah;118
2- Mostagrak Hakem:483/3, Kash-Al- ghomah:: 90/1
3- Behar-Al-Anvar: 14/7-16/35
4- Mosnad Ahmad:373/3, Mostadrak Hakem:112/3
5- Ershad, Chapter of demise of the prophet, 173
6- Al-savaegh-al Mohraghah:120, Amali Mofid 6/235
7- Managheb Ibn Maghazeli:202
8- Tarikh Tabari: 321-319/2 < Amali Mofid 3/168
9- Usool –Al Kafi: Vol 1, Chapter Difference tradition 1/80
10- Knooz-Al jaghayegh:124, Behar-Al –Anvar9/3
11- Mosna Ahmad 185/1, Sahih Moslem: 120/7
12- Mostadrak Hakem: 14/3
13- “ Ali (as) the bright face in Islam” 20 from Ibn aby –Al hadid description of Nahj-Al Balaghah
14- Al-Jamal: 355
15- Ershad:154/1, Sahih Bokhari: 2/4, 4154/16 “ Ali Ibn Abitalib’s Caliphate” by Shahab al din Ahmad Nobari translated by Mahmood Ahmad Damghani : 100/5
16- Monad Ahmad : 353/5
17- Mokhtasar Basaer-Al –Darajat : 125, Tavil-Al – Aayat-Al zaherah: 18/139/1
18- Managheb Moghazeli: 72/49
19- Tarikh Baghdad: 410/4, Managheb Ibn Moghazeli: 243
20- Alfosoo-Al mohemah: 143
21- Ershad –Al – gholoob Daylami:209, MAnagheb Ibn Shahr Aashoob: 51/2
22- Amali Sadoogh: 533/411
23- Amali Sadoogh, Majlis 47, T 14
24- Otoon Akhbar Reza: 2/185/2
25- Mosnad Ahmad182-181/5 from Brief Abaghaat-Al Anvar chapter explicit traditions of THaghalayn : 177
26- Mosnad Ahmad: 396/4
27- Ehghagh-Al Hagh: 5/6
28- Kashf-AL YAghin: 176
29- Behar-Al Anvar: 18/35, Jala-Al- Oyoon 243/1
30- Tasir KAnz-Al daghayegh: 70/14, from Amali Sadoogh: 221-215
31- Oyoon Akhbar Reza:188/48/2, Amli Toosi: 708/344
32- Tazkerato-Al- Khavas: 26
33- Description of Nahj-Al- Balaghah: 61/19, taraef;35
34- Mostadrak Hakem: 38-37/3, Majma-AL- zavaed: 14717/165/9
35- Ershad: 86-84
36- Tafsir Kanz-Al daghayegh: 70/1 from MAani-AL- Akhbar : 2/28
37- Tafsir Kanz-Al daghayegh: 261-260/2, from Ehtejaj: 338/1
38- Tafsir Kanz-Al daghayegh: 211/7 from Usool kafi:1/120/1
39- Tafsir Kanz-Al daghayegh: 569-568/5
40- Tafsir Kanz-Al daghayegh: 503/11 from Al- majma: 28-29
41- KAshf-Al- Yaghin: 216-219
42- Tafsir Kanz-Al daghayegh: 307/2 from MAnagheb Ibn Moghazeli: 202
43- Tafsir Fakhr Razi: 221/5, Tafsir Dor-AL mansoor: 293/2, Tafsir Kanz-Al daghayegh: 145-154/4
44- Tafsir Tabari:289/6/4
45- Moatadrak Hakem: 481/2 from Taraef :131
46- Kashf-Al –ghomah : 322/181-180
47- Tafsir Kanz-Al daghayegh: 33-32/4 from Usool kafi: 6/290/1
48- Tafsir Kanz-Al daghayegh: 167/4 from Usool Kafi: 6/290/1
49- Tafsir Kanz-Al daghayegh: 376/10, from Kamal-Al- Din vaTamom-Al- Nema : 278
50- Usool Kafi: 229/1, Basaer-Al- Darajat:232
51- Tafsir Kanz-Al daghayegh: : 480/6 from Ehtejaj Tabarsi: 365
52- Shavahed-Al- Tanzeel422/400/1, Majma-Al-bayan: 316/5
53- Tafsir Kanz-Al- Daghayegh: 419/14 fromRoza-Al-Vaezin:493
54- Mosnad Ahmad:170/1
55- Mostadrak Hakem:: 243/2 from Mangheb Ibn Moghazrli:133/4
56- Mostadrak Hakem: 4639/138/3, Managheb Ibn AbiTalib: 120/80
57- Jame-Al- Saghir Soyouti: 177-176/2
58- Mosnad Ahmad: 135/1, Sonan Termezi: 633/5
59- Khotbeh Ghadir ( Ghadir Sermon)
60- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 192
61- Kashf-Al-Yaghin:53
62- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 189
63- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 224
64- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: L 45
65- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 216
66- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: L 45
67- Tohaf-Al-ughool: 196
68- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 158
69- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 17
70- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 136
71- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 224
72- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 216
73- Sireh Amali va Makarem Akhlaghi HAzrat Ali (as) By Seyyed Hashem Rasooli mahalati: 108
74- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: L 45
75- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 2
76- Behar-Al-Anvar:14/41
77- Ghorar-Al- Hekam va Dorar-Al- Kalem: 7569
78- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: L 36
79- Sireh Amali va Makarem Akhlaghi HAzrat Ali (as) By Seyyed Hashem Rasooli mahalati: 108
80- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 201
81- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 230
82- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: gh 353
83- Hokm Mansooreh:27
84- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: gh 73
85- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: gh10
86- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 216
87- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: L 53
88- Ghorar va Dorar Aamadi: 340/4
89- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: L 21
90- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 103
91- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: L 31
92- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: L 21
93- Yanabi-Al- Hekmah: 10359/288/5
94- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 21
95- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 178
96- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 216
97- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: gh 324
98- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: S 113
99- Sireh Amali va Makarem Akhlaghi HAzrat Ali (as) By Seyyed Hashem Rasooli mahalati:115
100- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: gh 133
101- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: gh 21
102- Nahj-Al- Balaghah: gh 11
103- Kanz-Al-Daghayegh: 378 from amaali Toosi: 257/1
104- Sireh Amali va Makarem Akhlaghi HAzrat Ali (as) By Seyyed Hashem Rasooli mahalati: `107
105- Mostadrak HAkem: 4590/122/3
106- Sharh Nahj-AL- Balaghah Ibn Ab-Al-Hadid: 47-43/11, Estyab: 463/2
107- “ Ali The Bright face in Islam” :15 Sharh Nahj-AL- Balaghah Ibn Ab-Al-Hadid: 17/1
108- Sharh Nahj-AL- Balaghah Ibn Ab-Al-Hadid:17/1, Naghsh Aemmeh Dar Ehyaye Din : 46-45/6
109- Zendegani Amir –Al-Momenin : 5 Pols salameh daneshvaran : 224/1
110- Bar Gerefteh Az Ghasaed Sabe: 43-44 and Imam Ali (as) Pishva va Poshtiban: 288