Virtues of Imam Ali in verse 207 of Surah Baqarah
Virtues of Imam Ali in verse 207 of Surah Baqarah
And among people there is a person who sells his life for the sake of satisfaction of God, and God is kind to [ these] servants.
Cause of revelation of the verse:
Shera (Eshtera or Laylat-ol-mabit) verse has admired those who would devote their lives in exchange for achiving the satisfaction of God.
Toosi in Al-amali says in Laylat-ol-mabit pagans wanted to attack the prophet of Islam’s house en mass and kill him. Ali (AS) slept instead of prophet in bed and with putting his life at risk, frustrated the plan of pagans and saved the prophet’s life. Ibn-e-ab-al-hadid who is one the scholars of the sect of schismatics (Mu’tazila) in 13th volume of explanation of nahj-ol-balaghe says all interpreters believe that Eshtera verse was descended about Ali-ibn-e-abi taleb (AS). Tabatabayi in the second volume of Tafsir-al-mizan informs of the existence of many narrations which prove it, too. In the essay on exploring cause of revelation of the Eshtera (selling life) verse wrote by Seyyed Marziye Hashemi this case was investigated and it is written that in the view of some researchers narrations like what Tabari has written in the third volume of Jame-ol-bayan about the cause of revelation of this verse attributing it to Aboozar, sohayb-ibn-e-sanan or what Razi in Tafsir-al-kabir has written about Ammar yaser and his parents, khabbab-ibn-e—arat and Belal habashi were out of bias and with the purpose of hiding excellences of Ali-ibn-e-abi taleb (AS).
The intresting point is in using this verse of the word Yashri (selling) from the origin of Shera which means to sell and tell this against the people who in the verses204-206 were described as stobborn, selfish, obstinate and hypocrite who show themselves as charitable and Tabatabayi in the second volume of Tafsir-al-mizan says the style of verses shows the referents of both of these groups existed at the time of prophet Mohammad (PH). Sadeghi tehrani in the third volume of Al-forghan knew selling life as having three kinds: selling because of fearing of the hell, selling because of passionate to paradise and selling for the sake of God which the third one has highest rank that person does not require anything in exchange for his/her deeds and knew sleeping by Ali-ibn-e-abi taleb (AS) in the prophet’s bed of third kind. Tabatabayi in the second volume of Tafsir-al-mizan states the meaning of selling life for the sake of God’s satisfaction as these people require nothing other than his satisfaction and want what God wants not what their passion wants
read more
Hadith of Imam Hossein about ignorance
Virtues of Imam Ali in verse 3 of Surah Ma’idah
