The battle of “Zaat as-Salasel”

On 26th of the Islamic month of Jamadi as-Sani in 8th AH, the Muslims led by the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) achieved a great victory in the battle of “Zaat as-Salasel” which was fought against the pagan Arab tribes north of Medina on the road to Syria. The event occurred in the aftermath of the Battle of Mu'tah (in what is now Jordan) against a joint force of Christian Arabs and Romans that ended inconclusively, and which encouraged pagan Arab tribes to plan raids on Medina to wipe out Islam.
When Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) learned about the plans of the Arab infidels he dispatched a force under the newly converted Amr bin Aas to Wadi al-Qura where the enemies were amassing; in order to invite them to Islam or disperse them. Amr was overawed by the numbers and requested the Prophet for reinforcements that were sent under Abu Bakr, who after a skirmish and loss of men returned to Medina.
Another force was dispatched under Omar ibn Khattab and suffered the same fate. The Prophet then decided to entrust the command to his dear cousin and son-in-law, Imam Ali (AS), who duly invited the pagan Arabs to Islam. The infidels refused and prepared for battle. The Imam, despite the mountainous terrain and steep valleys, ably organized the defence. Then after several bouts of individual combat during which he made short work of the arrogant Arabs who challenged him, including their fearsome warlord, Hareth bin Makida, he launched a swift attack to soundly defeat them.
The Muslims lost only two persons, while the pagan Arabs suffered huge casualties and completely surrendered to the Muslims along with their women, children and possessions. In Medina, the Prophet informed the people that in honour of Imam Ali's victory, God has revealed “Surah Adiyaat”.
On his return to Medina, the Imam was greeted outside the city by the Prophet, who wiped the dust off the face of his dear cousin, kissed his forehead and with tears of joy, said: O Ali, I thank Allah, Who strengthened me through you. O Ali, like Moses, who prayed to Allah, to strengthen his arms by his brother (Aaron) and make him share his Prophethood, I also asked the same from Almighty Allah (for you) and He approved it.
Then the Prophet turned to the companions and said: I love him by the command of Allah. O Ali, the one who befriends you has befriended me, and the one who loves me, loves Almighty Allah, and the one who loves Almighty Allah is loved by Him and Paradise is his abode. O Ali, the one who is inimical to you, is inimical to me, and the one who is inimical to me, is inimical to the Almighty Allah. And He will not accept any deed of the enemies of Ali (AS).

Principles for character development and personal growth to be successful in life

Below is a list of very important personal values culled from years of observing individual achievement and success.

Principle Values Character Development Belief Justice Sacrifice Spirit (Spirituality in life) Knowledge (Wisdom) Fulfilling the Promise Belief is the psychological state in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true. Principle of belief makes someone to be Spiritual in life and fight for Justice by sacrificing everything he owns with full Knowledge and Wisdom. Faith Trust Hope Patience There is a Loving Intelligence that pervades all things. All that is necessary is for us to maintain our trust and hope even though we live in the midst of uncertainty. Faith is our willingness to take the next step without fear or looking back and yet have the patience to allow Divine Order to work through our situation without trying to force the results ourselves. Cause and Effect Restraint Accountability Good Intentions Reliable (Dependable) According to the law of the universe, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When we realize that we are accountable for every thought, word and deed, we recognize the wisdom of restraint and being aware of the intentions of our actions. Attraction Discernment Self-Awareness Mind your own business Wherever we devote our attention it attracts us and is increased in our worldly desire. If we do nothing to curb our destructive desires, life becomes increasingly difficult for us to control. If we develop discernment and self-awareness, then we can distinguish between what is beneficial or destructive that we are attracting into our lives. Develop mind your own business policy in lives. Devotion Concentration Calmness Focus Dedicated (Hard work) We can contact Creative Intelligence by taking the time to go within our heart and souls. We find our true self here, not the ego and self-praise. This can be done by anyone, through dedication and maintaining a feeling of calmness and concentrating on higher thoughts, whether through prayer (Dua), meditation (Namaz) or a walk in the woods. When we focus our lives on higher thoughts and actions, we connect with the Divine. Forgiveness Compassion Mercy (Beneficence) Understanding Islam teaches that God is Al-Ghaffur "The All-Forgiving", and is the original source of all forgiveness (Ghufran). Forgiveness often requires the repentance of those being forgiven. Forgiveness is a conscious act that frees us from the damaging image of ourselves as a victim and dissolves the poison of resentment. These act as blocks to the Universal Reality. Because we choose a new understanding of our situation, we are now free to extend mercy and compassion to ourselves and to those who have wronged us. This reconnects us back to our real self. Gratitude Generosity Magnanimity Appreciation The true state of Universal Reality is abundance. When we are grateful and appreciate what life has to offer to us, it indicates to the Universe that we accept whatever has been given to us and that we lack nothing. If we want to attract more prosperity into our lives, we need to start the process of thinking magnanimously and being extremely generous to all of life. All of this opens up the flow of supply into our world because whatever we give to life returns to us back in multiple folds. Harmony Optimism Co-operation Enthusiasm Passionate Authentic Comfortable Captivating (Charismatic) One of the universal laws is that we can choose what feelings we want to experience. When we choose negative feelings, our lives become infinitely more stressful and complex. When we choose to be optimistic, cooperative, comfortable, captivating and enthusiastic (charismatic) rather than being a victim of our negative emotions, we remain in control of ourselves and maintain inner happiness. Humility Modesty Unpretentious Gentleness (Openness) Through an attitude of modesty and unpretentiousness, we realize that we don't have to raise ourselves up with self-importance. God in his own way and time will reward us with whatever we need, as long as we rid ourselves of pride and maintain an attitude of gentleness and humbleness toward life. Integrity Truthfulness Courage Sincerity Honesty Loyalty Teamwork (Leadership) Punctuality (Timeliness) Our connection to our inner reality is strengthened when we align our thoughts, words and actions with truth (strong moral principles) and have the courage to act with sincerity and honesty. This is the act of letting go of our own will and honoring the Divine Will instead. Love and Affection Self-Esteem Self-Respect Caring (Friendship) Thoughtfulness Kindness Nurturing All living things require love and affection to survive, including ourselves. We must first attend to our own needs for love before we can love others. When we neglect ourselves emotionally, we become emotionally toxic and are not whole enough to give love to others. When we change the inner dialogue from the inner critic to that of the inner companion, we bolster our self-esteem and self-respect. Then we are free to nurture all individuals by being the caring, compassionate, thoughtful and kind beings we truly are. Moderation Balance Inner Peace Tranquillity (Stability) When we choose moderation in all aspects, we bring balance and stability into our lives. Instead of experiencing burn-out and stress, which actually hinders our productivity and blocks the creative flow of energy, we maintain our connection with our inner peace and true reality. Perseverance Striving (Challenge) Effort (Success) Confidence Endurance (Efficiency) Committed Accomplishment Wholeness is not realized in a moment. Throughout a lifetime, there must be constant effort and striving toward self-perfection. In order to accomplish this, we need the confidence to endure all situations in order to reach our goal and success. Purity Perfection Simplicity Innocence Cleanliness (Orderliness) When we choose to see the beauty of the simple things in life and the perfection all around us, instead of complexity and distortion, we retain our innocence. Purity then restores us to the joy of life. It is that which uplifts us and reconnects us to our true inner being. Respect for Life Equality Tolerance Courtesy Coordination We are all a part of this Creative Intelligence and have a spark of the divine within us. Therefore, even though there is diversity among us, through religion, sex, culture, age and status, we are all part of the Divine Family. Everyone we meet deserves our respect because we honor the divine within them. We show this through courtesy, tolerance and coordination with all whom we meet. Imam Ali (as) says, Oh! Humanity, "Who is Man? Man is either your brother in religion (faith) or your brother in humanity". Self-Discipline Determination Obedience Restraint When we have the determination to restrain our lower desires, the door is opened for us to fulfill our highest aspirations. Through obedience to our higher self, we develop an inner control and greater confidence in ourselves. Through this process, we strengthen our connection to the Creative Intelligence and experience greater empowerment. Humans have a higher status than Angels but only when they tread the path of humanity. That is they subject their carnal desires, anger and other qualities to Shariah and reason. They become perfect and qualities like chastity, contentment, piety, valor, charity, magnanimity and forgiveness are nurtured in them. Service Purpose Responsibility Creativity We came into this life with a special plan or purpose to help elevate humanity and life on earth through our own unique service. It is our responsibility to be successful in carrying out our plan and to infuse our service with creativity, or our own special God given talent. Surrender Acceptance Freedom (Liberty) Contentment When we accept what is happening to us at the present moment as part of a grander plan needed for our growth, we experience a new freedom and liberty. We welcome whatever comes into our lives, surrendering all wants and desires. With this new awareness comes contentment and peace.

The heart is a very important flesh of the human body. If it is corrupt, the entire body is corrupted. No one is safe from misguidance. So remember to constantly ask Allah (SWT) to keep you on the straight path. The most frequent supplication the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said was: "Yaa Muqallibal Quloob Thabbit Qalbee 'alaa Deenik [O, Turner of the hearts (Allah, the Most High), turn our hearts to Your obedience/religion.]"

The renowned Mu’tazalite Sunni scholar, Ibn Abi’l-Hadeed

On 20th of the Islamic month of Rajab in 656 AH, the renowned Mu’tazalite Sunni scholar, Izz od-Din Abdul-Hamid bin Hibbatollah, popularly known Ibn Abi’l-Hadeed, passed away at the age of 70 years. Captured by the Mongols during the offensive on Baghdad, he was later released upon the mediation by prominent figures. His most important book is a voluminous commentary on the “Nahj al-Balaghah”, the collection of the eloquent sermons, letters and maxims of Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), the First Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). His famous remarks on the Commander of the Faithful read: “The world cannot quote an example other than that of (Imam) Ali of a first class warrior and a marshal who is also a philosopher, a moralist and a great teacher of religious principles and theology.
A study of his life shows that his sword was the only help that Islam received during its early days of struggle in its wars of self-defence. For Islam he was the first and the last line of defence… The other facet of his character is reflected in his sermons, orders, letters and sayings. What high values of morality they teach, what ethics’ they preach, what intricate problems of Unitarianism they elucidate, how rich they are in philosophy; how they imbibe the spirit of righteousness and teach rulers to become kind, good, benevolent and God-fearing rulers, and subjects to be faithful, sincere and law abiding, how they persuade men to be warriors who can fight only for God, truth and justice, and not mercenaries murdering and plundering for wealth and riches; and how they instruct teachers to teach nothing injurious and harmful to mankind. These are but undisputable proofs of his greatness and spiritual superiority. Has history ever produced a more splendid personality incorporating such variegated characteristics of mind and heart?”

To Jarir bin Abdullah Bajali

Jarir bin Abdullah Bajali was sent to Damascus. He was carrying a letter for Mu'awiya. Some delay occurred in his return. Imam Ali (a) felt anxious about his safety and wrote the following letter to him:

"After praising Allah and the Holy Prophet (s) I want to advise you that as soon as you receive this letter of mine, force Mu'awiya for a reply to my letter written to him. Compel him to come to a decision and to give a final reply. He must decide between two things. Either war or obedience. If it is going to be a war then I shall get ready to fight against him, and if it is going to be peace then you must make him swear the oath of allegiance to me and then you must return. "

A star that is the source of life: Sun