Dirar ibn Damra
ضرار بن ضمرة
One of Ali's inner circle — compelled by Mu'awiya to describe him, he delivered the celebrated portrait: 'far-reaching, mighty, decisive in word, just in rule, knowledge streaming from his sides, who took comfort in night's darkness' and the mihrab weeping over 'deceive another, world' 1.
At a glance
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Overview
His description of Ali
He entered upon Muawiya as an envoy, and Muawiya pressed him to describe Ali. He said that he was far-reaching in his vision and strong in his power, spoke with decisiveness and judged with justice, and that knowledge gushed forth from all sides of him. 2
He said that Ali honoured the people of religion, showed mercy to the poor, felt estranged from the world and found comfort in the night. He then described his prayer niche, his weeping, and his words: "O world, deceive someone other than me." 2
Sources
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p. 710-711
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p.710-711
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Dirar ibn Damra”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/dirar-ibn-damra/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.