The fourth Caliph of Islam, Ali (RA) the great was martyred on the 21 day of Ramadhan. He happens to be the greatest scholar (after the Holy Prophet SAW) Islam has ever produced. Unfortunately the Muslims, by and large have not understood the towering personality of Hazrat Ali (RA). For most of the Muslims He was just a warrior who pulled down the huge door at Khyber. Some call Him Sher-e-Khuda (Lion of Allah) and that is it.
Hazrat Ali, was a great scholar. The most revered Prophet (SAW) once said, “I am the domain of knowledge and Ali is its gate way.” Not only did He solve complex problems relating to inheritance and parentage in a jiffy but also pointed towards some scientific mysteries.
“I can produce light from water”, the pious Caliph once said. The statement merits an indepth study. Hazrat Ali (RA) knew electricity could be produced from water. Had the Muslims done some research (instead of fighting each other) the credit of inventing hydro-electricity should have gone to them.
Hazrat Ali had a faithful slave called Mesum. The great scholar would share his thoughts with him. One day he took Mesum out of Kufah. They saw a huge date tree. Hazrat Ali (RA) said, “Look at this tree. How straight it is. A time will come when there will be similar structures made from iron. The structures will have a huge shield at the top. People will call it Antenna and receive messages through it.”
This is how modern day communication towers look like- a huge iron pillar with a big round dish (shield) at the top. Hazrat Ali (RA) used the word Antenna fourteen centuries ago. He knew about telecommunications. Had Muslims taken lead from this statement and worked hard, they would have taught the world the lessons of telecommunications.
On another occasion, Hazrat Ali and Mesum came across a horse. He said, “A time shall come when people will have different type of horses- a small iron structure with a little saddle.” Was’nt Hazrat Ali (RA) hinting towards the present day motorbikes?
Yes, Hazrat Ali (RA) was a great warrior and performed remarkable feats with his special sword. But, Hazrat Ali (RA) hated war and preferred peace. He pardoned his worst enemies.
A Covenant of'Hazrat Ali (RA) granting certain immunities and privileges to the Armenian Nation tells a lot about Hazrat Ali’s (RA) person and the teachings of Islam. (By Johannes Avdall, Esq., M.A.S who says “I was in possession of a copy of the original document, written in Cufic characters, which I lent some years ago to the late Henry Torrens, Esq. Vice-President of the Asiatic Society, for translation and insertion in the Journal. It appears that this rare piece of antiquity was lost or mislaid among his unpublished papers.”
The Covenant reads, “…… And the scale of taxation fixed by me for those nobles should be strictly adhered to. No demand should be made from beyond what was already written down and sanctioned. They should not be molested or oppressed. Their country should not be taken from them. They should not be alienated from their country. The priests should not be converted from Christianity. The monks and hermits should not be disturbed in their solitude, nor removed from their monasteries. Their preachers should not be prohibited to preach. Their habitations and their hereditary lands should not be devastated. Nobody should remove or pull down the bells from the steeples of their Churches. This is the law, which I have made for them. But, those who shall infringe my Covenant, by disobeying my behests, shall be transgressors of the ordinance of God, and shall suffer severe punishments and eternal penalties.”
There is need to understand the towering personality of Hazrat Ali (RA) in its right perspectives. This is the meeting point and can bind Muslims of different schools of thought together.

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