Imam Ali’s Legacy a Universal Symbol of Justice, Humanity: Scholar
“Imam Ali (AS) is not only the leader of a school of thought but a symbol of justice, ethics, and humanity,” said Mehdi Amin Foroughi at a scholarly forum held in Iran’s central city of Isfahan on Wednesday. “Any person, to the extent they possess fairness and righteous conduct, draws closer to the essence of Ali.”
The forum, titled “Ali; The Endless Reflection,” was organized by Isfahan’s Cultural, Social, and Sports Organization to mark the occasion of Imam Ali’s (AS) birth anniversary.
Amin Foroughi noted that non-Shia and even non-Muslim thinkers and poets have become devoted to Imam Ali (AS) after studying his life and teachings.
“Why have intellectuals, poets, and thinkers from outside Shia Islam, and even outside Islam, become captivated upon learning about his character and principles?” he said. “They have no doctrinal obligation for such devotion.”
The scholar pointed to a long history of admiration from diverse Islamic scholars. He cited the 9th-century Sunni jurist and theologian Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi’i.
“Al-Shafi’i, near the end of his life, wrote poems about the status of Imam Ali (AS),” Amin Foroughi noted. “He explicitly spoke of his unique standing. This shows Ali’s (AS) greatness transcends religious divisions.”
He also mentioned Ibn Abi al-Hadid, a 13th-century Sunni scholar. “He not only wrote a famous commentary on Nahj al-Balagha [a collection of Imam Ali’s sermons and sayings] but also composed odes in his praise,” said Amin Foroughi. “His poems are inscribed around the sacred shrine in Najaf today.”
Amin Foroughi also highlighted the work of George Jordac, a celebrated Christian Lebanese writer.
“In his famous book ‘Imam Ali: The Voice of Human Justice,’ Jordac introduces Ali as a symbol of absolute justice,” the scholar stated. “He explicitly writes that if the earth and heavens could combine all their power to create a perfect human, the result would be none other than Ali ibn Abi Talib.”
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He also named other Christian Arab intellectuals like Khalil Gibran, Abd al-Masih al-Antaki, and George Shakkour. These figures, he said, produced works filled with admiration.
“If the names of these works’ authors were not mentioned, one might assume they were written by a devoted Shia,” Amin Foroughi observed.
He argued that these thinkers recognized a core human principle in Imam Ali’s (AS) legacy. “They concluded that, before being a sect, devotion to Ali is a human disposition,” he explained. “It is a state that directs people toward goodness, beauty, fairness, and righteous action.”
Amin Foroughi connected this view to broader Islamic teachings. “The Quran also introduces righteous conduct as the criterion for human excellence,” he said. “Allegiance to Imam Ali (AS), therefore, means a practical inclination toward goodness and justice, not merely a verbal or identity claim.”
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