Question:

Some of our enemies claim Imam Ali (a.) is called a donkey in Bihar-ul-Anwar volume 25 page 380, is this true?

Response:

No, this is a lie.

Jabir ibn Yazid reported that Imam Al-Baqir (a.) asked him: “O Jabir, are you in possession of a donkey, that will make you move in such a way, that it will take you from the east to the west in a single day?” I said: “My life be sacrificed to you, O Abu Ja’far! How should I be in possession of it?” He said: “The Commander of the Faithful (a.) is this. Did you not hear, what the Messenger (a.) said about Ali (a.): “By God, you will get to the means, by God, you will ride on the clouds!” [Bihar-ul-Anwar of Al-Majlisi, Volume 25 Page 380 Hadith 4]

ابن أبي الخطاب عن محمد بن سنان عن عمار بن مروان عن المنخل بن جميل عن جابر بن يزيد عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال : قال : يا جابر ألك حمار يسير بك فيبلغ بك من المشرق إلى المغرب في يوم واحد؟ فقلت: جعلت فداك يا ابا جعفر وأنى لي هذا ؟ فقال أبو جعفر : ذاك أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام ، ألم تسمع قول رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله في علي عليه السلام : والله لتبلغن الاسباب والله لتركبن السحاب

The Commander of the Faithful (a.) is not the donkey, but according to the prophecy he is in possession of the donkey with which he will ride in the clouds!

It becomes even more interesting in the books of our opponents.

Evidence:

Ash-Sha’bi reported that Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said: “A man from the people went out and met a man from among the Jinns. He said to him: “Are you able to throw me to the ground? If you throw me to the ground, I will teach you a verse. Should you recite this upon entering your house, then Satan will never find access to the house.” Thereupon he wrestled with him and threw him to the ground, saying: “I see that you are weak and it seems that your forearm is the forepaw of a dog. Are all among the Jinns like you, or are you the only one of this kind?” He replied: “I am an expert among them. Wrestle with me again!” Then he wrestled with him and the man threw him to the ground. He said: “Recite the verse of the throne, for no one recites it when entering his house, without Satan fleeing and being in possession of an exhaust like the exhaust of a donkey.” Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was asked: “Is it Umar?” He replied: “Who else would it be except for Umar?” [Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol. 1 page 314]

قال أبو عبيد في كتاب الغريب: حدثنا أبو معاوية عن أبي عاصم الثقفي عن الشعبي عن عبد الله بن مسعود قال: خرج رجل من الانس فلقيه رجل من الجن فقال: هل لك أن تصارعني؟ فإن صرعتني علمتك آية إذا قرأتها حين تدخل بيتك لم يدخل شيطان فصارعه فصرعه فقال: إني أراك ضئيلا شخيتا كأن ذراعيك ذراعا كلب أفهكذا أنتم أيها الجن كلكم أم أنت من بينهم؟ فقال إني بينهم لضليع فعاودني فصارعه فصرعه الانسي فقال: تقرأ آية الكرسي فإنه لا يقرؤها أحد إذا دخل بيته إلا خرج الشيطان وله خيخ كخيخ الحمار فقيل لابن مسعود: أهو عمر فقال: من عسى أن يكون إلا عمر

Kulaib reported, that Umar delivered a sermon on Friday, recited Al Imran and took pleasure in it. So when he delivered the sermon, he recited it and arrived at the word of the Exalted One: “Those of you who turned away on the day when the two multitudes met.” (3:155) Umar said: “On the day of Uhud, when we defeated them, I fled until I ascended a hill and I saw myself ascending as if I were a mountain goat. The people said: “Muhammad has been killed!” I said: “I will not find anyone to say that Muhammad was killed, except that I will kill him.” Until we gathered on the hill. Therefore, it was revealed: “Those of you who turned away on the day the two multitudes met, Satan made them stumble because of some of what they had acquired.” (3:155) [Ad-Durr-ul-Manthur by Jalal-ud-Din As-Suyuti, Volume 2 page 88]

أخرج ابن جرير عن كليب قال خطب عمر يوم الجمعة فقرأ آل عمران وكان يعجبه إذا خطب ان يقرأها فلما انتهى إلى قوله ان الذين تولوا منكم يوم التقى الجمعان قال لما كان يوم أحد هزمناهم ففررت حتى صعدت الجبل فلقد رأيتني أنزو كأنني أروى والناس يقولون قتل محمد فقلت لا أجد أحدا يقول قتل محمد الا قتلته حتى اجتمعنا على الجبل فنزلت ان الذين تولوا منكم يوم التقى الجمعان الآية كلها

Ad-Dahhak reported that Umar said: “I wish I were a sheep of my relatives. Then they would fatten me up, as they like, until I was fat enough, whereupon people would come to visit them, whom they like and they would make some of me into a roasted meat and some into a dry meat. Then they would eat me and excrete me as an excrement and I would never have been a human being.” [Hilyat-ul-Awliya’ by Abu Nu’aim, Hadith 132]

حدثنا عبد الله بن محمد بن جعفر، حدثنا عبد الرحمن بن مسلم، حدثنا هناد، حدثنا أبو معاوية، عن جويبر، عن الضحاك، قال: قال عمر: ليتني كنت كبش أهلي، يسمنوني ما بدا لهم، حتى إذا كنت أسمن ما أكون زارهم بعض من يحبون، فجعلوا بعضي شواء، وبعضي قديدا، ثم أكلوني فأخرجوني عذرة، ولم أك بشرا