💠Things that Imam Ali (peace be with him) did NOT do...
✅Part 1/2
🔹Our arguments (in defense of) Imam Ali is mostly about his sayings and beautiful actions, and we hardly speak or hear about what he did not say and what he did not do. We have taken his general traits for granted, such that anyone can easily apply those generalities and place themselves in the shoes of this (most) prominent man in (the pages of) history, where we attempt to rival him.
🔹I've criticized (the concept of) introducing individuals like Imam Ali and (the concept of being unable to be like him in) a different time , however if we wish to (truly) learn from the ways of Ali (peace be with him), one of the most important points is to refer to the actions that this honorable man did not do even to the slightest, even though he could have (easily done so for his advantage and interests).
🔹Ali (peace be with him) in times of battle, during the peak of victory and domination, did not block the source of water to enemy forces; and while sword fighting and/or shield defending, he did not ask for his elite soldiers to cover and protect him (fought bravely like a warrior alone); and he did not slip (or escape) due to fear of losing his life;
🔹Ali did not allow any excess praise (about him) to make a difference to him. He never surrounded himself to the social circles of ego-centered persons and never made a lens of perceiving the world from their outlook.
🔹He never limited himself only with his “close-ones”, nor did he ever make them his “special-ones”.
🔹He was never negligent of realities (and occurrences behind the veil), and he never sought the aid from superstitions.
🔹He never behaved fraudulently with anyone, nor did he see any of his opponents with bias and prejudice.
🔹He never created space between himself and the poor, nor did he build a palace. He did not use the public treasury even for matters such as the grave of Prophet Mohammad and Sayyida Zahra (peace be with them both and their progeny), in that he did not make a shrine with flower hands, and a tomb enclosing their graves, though a vault and porch were necessary (and he did make that using public funds).
🔹He never boasted and showed off to someone because of his sacrifices and all (noble) abilities. Never boasted, nor stressed (about worldly affairs) and (never expressed undue) anger. He never showed off his piety for his publicity, and never dressed like rulers and caliphs.
🔹Nor did he sell anyone's reputation (or his own) to others. He did not display his asceticism (and piety) to the public.
🔹He never conceived of others or himself to be the criterion for the truth, nor did he see himself as (more knowledgeable and non-criticizable).