This man who started the Imamate was a unique personality, a person like whom will never be born. He was a person characterized by opposing elements. A warrior cannot be a God-worshipper. A man who aspires to have muscular power cannot be a man of asceticism. A man who draws his sword and annihilates the wrong-doers cannot be an affectionate man. This great man was a collection of opposing traits. While his days were spent fasting, his nights were spent praying to God. and it is said he used to perform a thousand Rak`ats of prayers each night, and as recorded in historical documents while he fed, on no more than bread, vinegar and zayt (1) or salt, his body structure was extremely powerful, so much so that the door of Khaybar (2), which could not be lifted by forty men together he had taken off and thrown some Dhira` (3) away. His sword was two-sided, and those who wore helmets and iron-coats could not escape his strokes. A man who used to feed on bread and vinegar, who, most often was fasting, and who broke his fast with bread and salt or with bread and vinegar, now had in himself a combination of asceticism and extreme bodily power: This combination is strange, but unique. He was a great warrior, putting the other warriors to flight. He used to say." If all Arabs attacked me, I would never withdraw." In the domain of affection, he was such that when an ankle was stolen from a Jewish woman, he declared that death was easier for man than this abominable act. A man, who had reached such a high rank in asceticism and metaphysics, drew his sword, destroying the infidels and saboteurs. We are the Shias of such a miraculous, wonderful being.
I declare that if the Great Prophet (s.a.) had not trained anybody else except Imam Ali (a.s.) it would have sufficed. If the prophet (s.a.) had been appointed to train such a person to hand over to the society it would have been enough. Such a person is unique, he does not have any peer; nobody may ever excel him. Today is the day when he was appointed as our Imam. We had such a great person as our Imam. Nobody can ever reach his station. The Prophet's successors and the Imams except for the prophet no one can or will surpass.
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(1) Olive oil.
(2) In one of the Holy wars carried out by the prophet) s (with the Jews the Kheybar stronghold, which housed the foes of Islam, was captured by Imam Ali (a.s.).
(3) Dhira`: a measure for length in the old times.
Sahifeh, vol 11, Pages: 16-17
Speech