Question No. 3111 31 August 2022 Official answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) verified Content level: Intermediate

Did the Story of Giving a Ring During Prayer Concern Imam Ali (AS)?

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Dear questioner, Master Ali Saei

Tracking code: #Q-3111

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....On the other hand, some staunch opponents of the Infallible Imams and their Shia followers have concluded from this story that Imam Ali (AS) giving his ring during prayer was not befitting him. They present people with a choice between accepting Imam Ali’s supreme inner communion and accepting that the verse on almsgiving was revealed during prayer. Although scholars and those endowed with spiritual insight can reconcile the two, ordinary people have been left in doubt. The question has been raised on various Shia websites and even on television programmes: some have tried to explain the story, while others have challenged its very authenticity.

Subject category: Ahl al-Bayt and Islamic History Theology and Creed Critique and review

The essence and first answer at a glance (60-word summary)

His station of servanthood and his submission to God’s will allowed the Absolute Will of the Real to manifest in his blessed being. While preserving his supreme inner communion, this made his noble act of giving possible. Ordinary people’s doubts about this account stem from their inability to reconcile that supreme communion with the revelation of the verse on almsgiving.

Answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat)

Teacher and researcher in the intellectual tradition of wisdom and the Ahl al-Bayt | Soroush Bamdadān Cultural Center

The revered one’s station of servanthood and nearness to God, the devoted disciple’s surrender to the Master’s will, and the beauty of a wholly devoted worshipper’s deeds as they appear before the true Worshipped One must be understood in light of the fact that the Exalted Creator’s will remains steadfast amid the many circumstances in which it is manifested (لا یشغله شان عن شان). Since the Master was wholly in the station of entrusting all to God, the realization of God’s absolute will in his blessed soul brought his generous act of giving to fruition while preserving his most exalted communion.

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Did the Story of Giving a Ring During Prayer Concern Imam Ali (AS)?

The essence and first answer at a glance (60-word summary)

Answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat)

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