Need help with translation of a " blasphemous"(?) inscription

[ariel]

Regretfully it doesn't seem to be true: Ali is venerated by both branches.
One of the most popular saying of Muhammed is " There is no hero like Ali, no sword like Zulfikar". It is written on the majority of Islamic blades coming from all over, Sunni or Shia.

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by ariel

Regretfully it doesn't seem to be true: Ali is venerated by both branches.
One of the most popular saying of Muhammed is " There is no hero like Ali, no sword like Zulfikar". It is written on the majority of Islamic blades coming from all over, Sunni or Shia.

But why? Ariel do you have an explanation about that?

[ariel]

Originally Posted by Kubur

But why? Ariel do you have an explanation about that?

Explanation for what?

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by ariel

Explanation for what?

for
Ali is venerated by both branches.
It is written on the majority of Islamic blades coming from all over, Sunni or Shia.
why?

[ariel]

Originally Posted by Kubur

for
Ali is venerated by both branches.
It is written on the majority of Islamic blades coming from all over, Sunni or Shia.
why?

Because Ali was a commanding figure during Muhammed’s life, a hero according to Muhammed himself. As such, he deservedly earned respect and admiration of the entire Umma and his role had never been forgotten by any Muslim.

However, that did not mean that according to the majority he deserved to become a Caliph. And that was the crux of the matter.

He is venerated by Sunni and Shia alike , but for different reasons. For Sunni he was an outstanding hero, but no more. For Shia, as a direct descendant of Muhammed, he was a legitimate Caliph unjustly deprived of the mantle, and no less.

In no small measure, the divide follows political traditions of Bedouins from Arabia proper, who democratically elected their leader and Shia who followed dynastical system of ancient Persia.

After that, history records centuries of bloodshed between the branches that persists even now. Per Sunni list of enemies, Shias are Numero Uno, far ahead of idolaters and Jews, and vice versa. Not for nothing contemporary Iran and Saudi Arabia are at each other throats. Geopolitical and financial ( oil) considerations are fueled by the remembrances of the battle of Karbala.

[Kubur]

Nobody spotted the bolster? Is it Ethiopian?

Definitively not Mamluk they don't mention Ali.

Thank you Ariel, so in short Ali is a hero for both Sunni and Shia.

I have the feeling that it's more complicated than that...

There is no deep meaning?

[Martin Lubojacky]

It may be the sword is coming from Sudan or bordering area with Ethiopia. As far as graven inscription is concerned, I think there was influence of Iranian weapons in Sudan (?)

Inscriptions: Years ago I bought a shamshir in Libya with the names of Seven Sleepers on the blade and acc. to the Arabic language professor it was also written by illiterate person. I think there is nothing strange on it (that times ...).

The word "Ferench" is still used in Amharic language (in Ethiopia) for the foreigners of different flesh-colour (but now it is becoming to be replaced, especially by young and uneducated people, by "China").

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by ariel

Because Ali was a commanding figure during Muhammed’s life, a hero according to Muhammed himself. As such, he deservedly earned respect and admiration of the entire Umma and his role had never been forgotten by any Muslim.

Thank you Ariel for your explanation. I agree with you for the basics, Ali was considered as a great fighter and a hero. The same is true for the sword zulfiqar given by the Prophet to Ali.

Inscriptions mentionning Ali and Zulfiqar were talismanic symbols used to protect the owner of the weapon and to give him some strength or even supernatural powers.

لا فتى إلا علي لا سيف إلا ذو الفقار‎
lā fatā ʾillā ʿAlī; lā sayf ʾillā Ḏū l-Fiqār.
"There is no hero like Ali; There is no sword like Dhu-l-Fiqar"

Why Ali is popular in the Sunni world?

In fact it's more complicated than simply Ali the perfect warrior and shinny knight of Islam.

Ali and Zulfiqar are parts of the symbols used in many sufi sects, including dervishes in Iran and Sudan but also Bektasi janissaries in the Ottoman army and since at least the 13th c.
THis is the deep meaning of Ali and Zulfiqar in the Sunni world.

Kubur

[AJ1356]

I don't see anything blasphemous in the text. There are misspellings of course, seems like whoever inscribed it did so in phonetic way.
Ali ibn Abitaleb was the cousin of Mohammad (pbuh), not a direct descedant of him. His children with Fatima (as) and their lineage are considered direct descendants of The Prophet. He is respected greatly by both shia and sunny, revered more so by the shia. During the Umayaid dynasty it was standard practice to curse his name or speak ill of him due to political reasons, this practice was abolished towards the end of that dynasty. This of course was not supported by mainstream scholars of that time, many of whom were murdered because they refused to follow that practice. Also, this is the reason the shias tried to counter this by speaking more highly of him.
He was great warrior among other virtues, and was gifted Zulfiqar by The Prophet, a sword that was given to The Prophet by angel Gabriel. Thus goes the saying carved on many swords in Muslim lands.

In the Indian subcontinent the term Firangi (G pronounced like gulf) is another way Firanji is used, pretty much same meaning.

On another note, Zulfiqar is spelled with ذ which sounds like Z, not with ض which could sound like Dh.

Hopefully this was helpful.