"A beautiful work of a spiritual nature; clear, pedagogical, profound with elegant translations and, above all, full of a subtle energy and a remarkable inner intensity." Prof. M.A. Amir-Moezzi, Sorbonne Université, chair Exegesis and Theology of Shi’ite Islam
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Hazrat Ali (600-661) is an iconic figure of Islam. He was said to be the Gate of Knowledge and the Right Hand of God. Few prophets can claim such attributes, which suggests that he holds a unique place in the spiritual history of mankind. The main events of Ali’s life are told through fictionalised accounts by his contemporaries – from those who loved and admired him to those who failed to acknowledge his spiritual authority or even hated him. The author’s aim is to bring to life the historical and spiritual greatness of the man whom Muhammad proclaimed to be his brother and the master whom all should follow and love. The text incorporates many of Hazrat Ali’s own sayings, preserved by tradition. The famous sermons on Creation, the letter of governance to his most faithful commander, Malik al-Ashtar, and his Treaty of the Covenant with the Christians of Armenia are included in a separate chapter at the end of the book. Gwenaël VEREZ is the author of The Search for the Divine Mother, re-edited into a new edition in 2021. In 2020, he also published a new English translation of the Amritanubhava, the masterpiece and gem of the great Indian philosopher Jnaneshwara.