The blessed event of the Holy Birth of Hadrat Ali-ul-Murtaza (Alaihi Salaat-o-Wassalam) inside the sacred precincts of the Holy Kaaba stands as one of the most singular and luminous miracles in the history of mankind. No other soul, before or after, has been granted the extraordinary honour of taking birth within the House of Almighty Allah. This unmatched distinction, by itself, is a clear and eternal proof of the exalted dignity, sanctity and spiritual station bestowed upon Maula Ali (ASWS) from the very first breath of his worldly life.
According to the well-preserved narrations of the Ahl-e-Bait and the noble Sufi tradition, Hadrat Abu Talib (Alaihis Salaam) and his blessed wife, Huzoor Syeda Fatima Binte Asad (Salam Allah-Ho Alaiha), had travelled to Makkah al-Mukarramah for the performance of Umrah. At that time there were no outward signs whatsoever of pregnancy upon Syeda Fatima Binte Asad (Salam Allah-Ho Alaiha), and neither she nor anyone around her had any worldly indication of the mighty secret that Almighty Allah had preserved for that sacred hour.
As the noble couple began the Tawaf of the Holy Kaaba with hearts full of devotion, everything proceeded in the ordinary manner until they completed four rounds around the House of Allah. Upon completing the fourth round, Huzoor Syeda Fatima Binte Asad (Salam Allah-Ho Alaiha) felt a slight, gentle pain in her blessed belly — a subtle sign that the moment decreed by Almighty Allah, from before the creation of the heavens and the earth, had now arrived.
At that very instant, Almighty Allah, by His limitless power and majesty, caused the two walls of the Holy Kaaba to open from one corner, creating a passage that had never been opened for anyone before and would never be opened for anyone after. Jibreel-e-Ameen (Alaihis Salaam) appeared in an unseen, disappearing manner and, addressing the mother of the coming Wali of Allah with utmost reverence, said: “Ya Syeda! Enter into the Holy Kaaba through the entry that Almighty Allah Himself has created for you.” Obedient to the command of her Lord, Syeda Fatima Binte Asad (Salam Allah-Ho Alaiha) stepped inside the Holy House, and immediately the walls closed behind her, sealing the sacred chamber from every worldly gaze.
Within that hidden, illuminated sanctuary — the House built for the worship of Almighty Allah alone — Hadrat Ali-ul-Murtaza (Alaihi Salaat-o-Wassalam) took his blessed birth. No human eye witnessed it; the walls of the Kaaba, the angels of the Divine Court and the Majesty of Almighty Allah Himself were the only witnesses to this unparalleled event. After approximately twenty minutes, Huzoor Syeda Fatima Binte Asad (Salam Allah-Ho Alaiha) emerged from the Holy Kaaba as its walls once again opened for her, and then, by the command of Almighty Allah, those walls closed permanently, never to open in that manner again for anyone until the Day of Judgement.
The blessed body of the newly born child was radiating and scattering sparks of the Divine Light of Almighty Allah, as has been affirmed by the great Wali of Allah, Hadrat Syed Moeenuddin Chishti Ajmeri (Rahmatullah Alaih). This luminous state was not the light of this world but a reflection of the Nur which Almighty Allah had gifted to His chosen Wali from the very instant of his arrival — a Nur that would later illuminate the path of Islam, the field of every Islamic battle, and the hearts of countless seekers of Truth till the end of time.
After this unimaginable honour, the noble parents, Hadrat Abu Talib (Alaihis Salaam) and Huzoor Syeda Fatima Binte Asad (Salam Allah-Ho Alaiha), completed the remaining three rounds of the Holy Kaaba to fulfil their Umrah. Throughout these rounds, they held their blessed child in their arms, kissing him again and again and offering profound gratitude to Almighty Allah for granting them a son of such extraordinary beauty and sanctity — a child who had not yet taken the milk of his mother nor opened his eyes to the world, yet whose very presence filled their hearts with a serenity and joy beyond description.
On completing the Umrah, both returned to their home in a state of immense pleasure, tranquility and thankfulness. From that day onwards, the House of Almighty Allah carried a fragrance and a secret that belongs to Maula Ali (ASWS) alone: the Holy Kaaba is the sacred direction of worship for the Muslims, and Maula Ali-ul-Murtaza (Alaihi Salaat-o-Wassalam) is the one whose birth took place inside that Holy Kaaba. This unique reality alone is sufficient to establish, for every fair-minded believer, the towering dignity, sanctity and spiritual leadership of Hadrat Ali-ul-Murtaza (Alaihi Salaat-o-Wassalam) — a status that no tongue can fully describe and no pen can ever exhaust.
Soon after this heavenly event, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sall-Allah-o-Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam), accompanied by his blessed wife Huzoor Syeda Khadija-tul-Kubra (Salam Allah-Ho Alaiha), arrived at the home of Hadrat Abu Talib (Alaihis Salaam) to behold the newly born child, Hadrat Ali-ul-Murtaza (Alaihi Salaat-o-Wassalam). The very air of that blessed house trembled with reverence as the Beloved of Almighty Allah stepped across its threshold. No sooner had the Holy Prophet (SAWAW) entered than Hadrat Abu Talib (AS), with a heart divided between love and fatherly worry, raised a question: “O son of my brother! This child has neither sucked the milk of his mother nor opened his eyes since his birth, and I am gripped by the fear that, Allah forbid, he may be blind.”
On hearing these tender words, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWAW) smiled — a smile in which lay the secret of the Divine Court — and said with immense love: “O my beloved uncle, place this child into my hands.” As the child was gently transferred into the sacred hands of the Holy Prophet (SAWAW), a miracle unfolded that shook the hidden worlds. Hadrat Ali-ul-Murtaza (ASWS) instantly opened his blessed eyes, and the very first sight upon which those eyes fell was the luminous, holy face of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWAW). It was as though the child had been waiting for this one moment — refusing to see any face of this world until he had first beheld the face of his Master, his Nabi, his beloved cousin and the Mercy of both the worlds.
The child then began to move his tender lips, as if humbly demanding something from the Court of the Beloved of Allah. Understanding this silent request with the knowledge granted to him by Almighty Allah, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWAW) lovingly placed his holy tongue into the mouth of that blessed child, who sucked the pure saliva of the Holy Prophet (SAWAW) — and along with it, by the will of Almighty Allah, the entire treasure of the knowledge of Nabuwah was transferred into his heart. In that single instant, the fountain of Divine Wisdom that would later flow through Maula Ali (ASWS) — the same Ali who declared “Ana Madinat-ul-Ilm wa Aliyun Baabuha” was fulfilled upon him — was sealed within his blessed being by the very tongue of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWAW).
Thereafter, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWAW) himself gave the very first Ghusl to the newly born child with his own blessed hands, honouring him with a bathing that no other child of Adam had ever received. When, after this loving service, the Holy Prophet (SAWAW) tenderly handed the child back to his uncle Hadrat Abu Talib (AS), the child suddenly began to weep — soft, sorrowful tears that pierced the hearts of all present. Astonished, Hadrat Abu Talib (AS) asked: “O son of my brother, why has this child wept in your farewell?” The Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWAW) lowered his blessed gaze and replied with words that would later drown the ummah in tears: “O my beloved uncle, I have given this child his very first Ghusl today, and one day this same child shall give me my last Ghusl — that is why he has wept.” In that one sentence lay the entire, unbreakable bond between the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWAW) and Hadrat Ali-ul-Murtaza (Alaihi Salaat-o-Wassalam): a bond written by Almighty Allah before the creation of the heavens, sealed on the day of birth, and destined to be honoured on the day of departure from this world.
LAILLAHA ILLALLAH-HO MUHAMMAD-DURR-RASOOL ALLAH ALIYYUN WALI ALLAH