Ibne Babawayh relates from Umru’ bin Zubayr that one day the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) was seated with his companions. They started discussing about the worship and virtues of the Martyrs of Badr and Ahlulbait (a.s.). Suddenly Abu Darda said, “O people! I would like to introduce to you a person whose wealth is the least amongst all the companions, but his worship and piety is more than anyone else.” People asked him as to who that person was? He took the name of Ali (a.s.) and people turned their faces away from him. One man from among the Ansar got up and told him, “O Abu Darda! Today you have made such aclaim when nobody supports you.” Abu Darda replied, “I have told youwhatever I have seen with my eyes, while you say only that which you hear from others. Listen what I have to say and then judge.
One day I met Imam Ali (a.s.) in Nakhlistan of Bani Najjar. I saw that Ali (a.s.) was hiding from the view of his companions and was standing behind a tree. He called out in a sad and sorrowful voice:
“O Allah! How many grievous crimes I have committed. And instead of punishing me, You have acted with restraint. And I have committed many mistakes and errors, but You have not disgraced me nor humiliated me, instead You had mercy on me. O Allah! If my age passes in Your disobedience, and the scrolls of my deeds get filled with sins, I shall not wish for anything else except Your Mercy and Beneficence.”
I hid myself in the nearby bushes to hear what he said. I saw Ali (a.s.) reciting many units (Rak’at) of Namaz, and after finishing each Namaz He became engrossed in supplications, weeping and wailing. The supplication which he recited was:
“O Allah! When I think about Your Mercy and Beneficence, sins seem light in my eyes. But when I think about Your anger and wrath, these very sins become heavy for me. Mercy be on me when I see these sins of mine written down in the scroll of my deeds, which You have noted down. And mercy be on me when You will order Your Angels to imprison me. Verily I lament upon this imprisonment. The prisoner whose retribution of sins will not even save his group. And whose group would not reach up to help him, and the people of Qiyamat will pity his bad state. O that fire, which melts the liver and kidneys,and cracks the skulls.”
Then Ali (a.s.) started weeping bitterly and his voice faded away. I thought to myself that he must have dozed off due to remaining awake. I decided to wake him for the morning Prayers. I shook him constantly but found no signs of life. His body had turned stuff like a dry stick. I thought that he had died due to grief and said: “
Surely we are Allah’s and to Him we shall surely return.” (Surah-al-Baqarah: 156).
I ran to the house of Hazrat Fatema (s.a.) to give her the news of the death of Ali (a.s.). I narrated to her whatever I had seen. She (a.s.) replied,“O Abu Darda! This frequently happens to Ali because of fear of Allah.” I took some water with me and went to that place where he was lying, and sprinkled some on his face. He gained consciousness and looked at me weeping.He asked me as to why I was weeping, to which I narrated the whole incident.
Then Ali (a.s.) said,
“O Abu Darda! Do you assume that I will be able to enter Paradise, when all the evil-doers know that undoubtedly they shall be chastised. And when harsh and short-tempered Angels will have surrounded me from all sides and take me to the presence of the Compelling (Jabbar) Lord. At that moment all my friends will have deserted me, and all people will pity me. You will see my wretched state, when I will be standing in front of my Lord as a culprit whose bad deeds will have been made apparent.”
Abu Darda continued, “By Allah! I have seen no other companion more virtuous and pious than Ali (a.s.).”