The famous SONNI commentator, SAALABI, has narrated: ``When the prophet was compelled to emigrate from Mecca to Medina, the idolaters gathered round his house, in order to arrest and kill him! HAZRAT ALI (AS), volunteered to lie on the prophet's bed, so as to throw dust on the enemy's eye; and save the prophet's life, even at the price of his own life! He therefore laid down on the bed, and covered himself with the prophet's special green bed sheet, so that he could be seen from behind of the short walls of the house that he was there, but none could recognize whether he was Mohammand or Ali due to the darkness of the night.

      Meanwhile, God, through inspiration said to HIS two arch angels, GABRIEL and MICHAEL: that I have already made you brothers, and I am going to give one of you a longer life than the others. Now tell me which one of you two is willing to grant gis extra length of life to his brother? None of the two consented to leave it for the other! Then Allah said to the arch angels: `Just now, upon the earth, Ali has volunteered to sacrifice himself to save the life of his brother Mohammad for my pleasure. Now hasten to guard Ali's life against my enemies. Then Gabriel appeared to HAZRAT ALI and said to him: How happy to say that the angels are proud of you and your self - sacrifice in the way of God.''