The relationship between Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) was not limited to their kinship. Rather, it was distinguished by a very deep intellectual and emotional bond. As soon as Fatimah bint Asad emerged carrying her newborn son, whom she had given birth to inside the Kaaba, Muhammad al-Mustafa (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) approached her, took Ali, and embraced him to his chest. This marked the beginning of his special care for Ali and his preparation for a particular role.

The child grew up under the care of his parents and his cousin Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), who frequently visited his uncle’s home even after his marriage to Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her). He surrounded Ali with a special abundance of affection and exceptional attention. He would speak affectionately to him while he was awake, carry him against his chest, and rock his cradle while he slept.

This continuous care over many years, along with the remarkable tenderness shown to him, left a profound impression on Ali’s conduct and feelings. Its effects became evident in his words, when he described the closeness he had to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), saying:

“You know my position with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) through close kinship and my special position. He placed me in his lap when I was a child, embraced me to his chest, sheltered me in his bed, touched me with his body, and let me smell his fragrance. He would chew food and then feed it to me. He never found me lying in my speech or making a mistake in my actions. I followed him as a young camel follows the footsteps of its mother. Every day he would raise before me a banner from his noble character and command me to follow it.”

When the economic crisis became severe for Quraysh, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) quickly proposed to his uncles, Hamzah and al-Abbas, that they assist Abu Talib during his hardship. Al-Abbas took Talib, Hamzah took Ja‘far, Abu Talib kept Aqil, and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) took Ali. He said to them: “I have chosen for myself the one whom Allah has chosen for me over you: Ali.”

Thus, Ali (peace be upon him) moved into the home and care of his cousin. His personality began to develop under this close guidance, and he remained with the Prophet until the final moments of the Prophet’s life (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).

The Prophet’s concern for Ali (peace be upon him) was not limited to the period of economic hardship. This indicates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) had another purpose: he wanted Ali (peace be upon him) to be raised under his direct care so that he could receive special preparation, enabling him to undertake a great religious mission in preserving the law of the final Messenger, for which Allah had chosen the best of His creation and the purest of His servants.

Thus, Allah prepared Ali (peace be upon him) to live from his earliest childhood under the care of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), enjoying his affection and tenderness and learning from his noble character and great qualities. The Prophet treated him as though he were his beloved son. Ali (peace be upon him) also lived alongside the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) through all the unseen and spiritual transformations that occurred in the life of the Messenger of Allah, as he was constantly in his company.

What history has preserved for us from the life of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) vividly and profoundly illustrates the extent of the religious and spiritual preparation he received at the hands of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), both before and after the beginning of the Prophetic mission. It also demonstrates the special spiritual and psychological preparation he received, which made him worthy of intellectual and scholarly authority, in addition to political leadership, after the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).