“By the Lord of the Kaaba, I have won!”… The pinnacle of sacrifice and divine triumph
“By the Lord of the Kaaba, I have won!” With these words, as the mihrab of Kufa prepared to receive the dawn of the 19th of Ramadan in the year 40 AH, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib not only concluded his life but also established an eternal and timeless path to the true meaning and concepts of “victory” within the Muslim community until the Day of Judgment. To understand the reasons and background that led to his martyrdom at the hands of a sword supposedly wielded by Muslims, and from within the very community that failed to embrace Islam, for it did not reflect the wisdom of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) nor embrace his sentiments, especially since the Messenger of God had foretold his martyrdom, saying to him, “O Ali, this will be dyed with this”—meaning his beard with his forehead—and Ali asked, “Will my faith be safe, O Messenger of God?”
Illuminating Milestones
Commemorating the tragic martyrdom of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), the book “By the Lord of the Kaaba, I Have Won” offers a contemporary reading of his life and legacy. It presents him as a beacon of guidance and a guiding light of truth, illuminating the paths of those lost in our time, especially amidst the rise of extremist ideologies that seek to distort his image and stature. The book delves into the depths of the cry with which he concluded his life in the cause of God, revealing dimensions of a personality shaped by divine revelation and perfected by martyrdom. The book also explores illuminating milestones in the life of the Commander of the Faithful, from his extraordinary birth inside the Kaaba, through his upbringing in the Prophet’s household, to the moment he uttered his immortal words, “By the Lord of the Kaaba, I have won,” as he lay bathed in his blood in his prayer niche, a victory foretold by the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in one of the most tragic events in Islamic history.
The Making of the “Perfect Human Being” in the School of Prophethood
This 108-page book, prepared by Professor Yahya Qasim Abu Awasa and published by the Department of Quranic Culture, begins with a meticulous analysis of the “divine distinction” in the upbringing of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). From his birth inside the Kaaba—a unique privilege shared by no other—to his direct upbringing by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), the book portrays the characteristics of the “distinguished disciple” whom God singled out and chose as the Imam of the nation after the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
Education Through Adherence and Precedence in Faith
The book highlights how Imam Ali followed the Prophet “like a calf follows its mother,” making his morals, knowledge, and policies a direct reflection of divine revelation. It also emphasizes that Imam Ali’s conversion to Islam was not merely a change of belief, but rather an “innate purity” untouched by pre-Islamic ignorance, making him the “highest example” in whom the values of Islam were embodied before they were publicly proclaimed.
Ali ibn Abi Talib: The Criterion that Exposes Hypocrisy
In one of the book’s most compelling arguments, the author presents Imam Ali as a “balance” for distinguishing between people, relying on the Prophetic hadith, “None but a believer loves you, and none but a hypocrite hates you,” to analyze the phenomenon of hypocrisy in the history and present of the Muslim community.
Confronting Distortion and Refuting Misconceptions
The author addresses what he considers “fabrications” and “misconceptions” raised by the Takfiri Wahhabi movement regarding the character and status of Imam Ali. He emphasizes that loving and supporting Imam Ali is not a “crime,” as some try to portray it, but rather an integral part of faith. His virtues and merits are narrated in the major hadith collections of all Muslims, Sunni and Shia alike. Furthermore, he argues that hatred of Imam Ali and sensitivity to mentioning his name or discussing any aspect of his honorable life is not merely a political stance, but a “hypocritical doctrinal disease” that reveals a disconnect from the essence of true Islam.
Confronting Modern Ignorance
The book skillfully connects the first ignorance that Imam Ali confronted with the “other” or “modern” ignorance that the Muslim community faces today. It argues that understanding Imam Ali’s life and his approach to confronting intellectual and doctrinal deviations is a pressing necessity for Muslims in the present era, especially in light of the rise of takfiri movements that seek to distort his image and stature. The author considers attempts to remove the Imam’s biography from school curricula to be an extension of a project of “historical hypocrisy” that seeks to empty Islam of its revolutionary and ethical content.
“By the Lord of the Kaaba, I have won!”… The Philosophy of Victory in the Logic of Martyrdom
Why did Imam Ali call the moment of his assassination a “victory”? The book answers that this victory is “the safety of religion,” the safety of religion being above the safety of the self. Here, it analyzes the famous dialogue between the Prophet Muhammad and Ali al-Mujtaba regarding his martyrdom, where the Imam’s sole question was: “Am I safe in my religion?” This logic is what made the blow of Ibn Muljam al-Muradi (may God curse him), the one who crippled this nation, a gateway to eternity, not an end to life. It emphasizes the importance of Imam Ali’s admonition to the nation to safeguard its religion, for whoever does not safeguard their religion will not safeguard their worldly life or the hereafter.
Moral Victory
The book highlights Imam Ali’s will on his deathbed, and how it embodies the pinnacle of humanity and justice, even towards his assassin, Ibn Muljam al-Muradi (may God curse him) (“An eye for an eye,” “Do not mutilate the man”), thus offering a lesson in the “ethics of power” that humanity lacks today.
Ongoing Oppression and Historical Responsibility
The book concludes with a reflective pause on the “oppression of Imam Ali,” considering it an oppression of the divine project itself. It argues that the nation’s loss and humiliation stem from its turning away from the guidance of Imam Ali and the guiding lights of the Prophet’s family (peace be upon him and his family).
The Obscuring of Awareness
The book strongly criticizes regimes that have used their resources to distort or obscure the Imam’s biography, asserting that returning to Ali’s path is the only way to restore the nation’s lost glory, honor, and dignity.
Exemplary Role Model and Following
The book calls upon readers, especially young people and intellectuals, not to be content with mere emotional love, but to move towards “conscious following” of the Imam’s approach in patience, struggle, political awareness, and connection to the Quran.
In conclusion, this book inspires by presenting the biography of the “Master of the Guardians” and is a cry against distortion, a call to return to the “authentic Muhammadan Islam” as exemplified by Ali ibn Abi Talib in his life and martyrdom. Reading it is a journey of self-discovery through the mirror of “the man who never abandoned the truth, nor did he ever betray it.”