Mawla Ali is leader and higher and above than every sahaba and prophet except prophet Mohammad
Quran 2:124
And (remember) when his Lord tried Ibrahim with His commands, and he fulfilled them, He said: I have appointed you an Imam for mankind. Ibrahim said: And of my offspring? He said: My covenant includes not the unjust."
Another chain of Ali being leader of prophets
قال أبو يعلى : حدثنا زكريا بن يحيى ، حدثنا نصر بن مزاحم ، عن جعفر بن زياد ، عن هلال بن مقلاص ، عن عبد الله بن أسعد بن زرارة ، عن أبيه رضي الله عنه ، قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : لما عرج بي إلى السماء انتهي بي إلى قصر من لؤلؤ ، فيه فرائص من ذهب يتلألأ ، فأوحي إلي ، أو فأمرني في علي بثلاث خصال : بأنك سيد المرسلين ، وإمام المتقين ، وقائد الغر المحجلين
Sunan Abi Dawud 3527
Narrated Umar ibn al-Khattab:
reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: There are people from the servants of Allah who are neither prophets nor martyrs; the prophets and martyrs will envy them on the Day of Resurrection for their rank from Allah, the Most High.
حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَعُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ بْنِ الْقَعْقَاعِ، عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ جَرِيرٍ، أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِ اللَّهِ لأُنَاسًا مَا هُمْ بِأَنْبِيَاءَ وَلاَ شُهَدَاءَ يَغْبِطُهُمُ الأَنْبِيَاءُ وَالشُّهَدَاءُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِمَكَانِهِمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى " . قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ تُخْبِرُنَا مَنْ هُمْ . قَالَ " هُمْ قَوْمٌ تَحَابُّوا بِرُوحِ اللَّهِ عَلَى غَيْرِ أَرْحَامٍ بَيْنَهُمْ وَلاَ أَمْوَالٍ يَتَعَاطَوْنَهَا فَوَاللَّهِ إِنَّ وُجُوهَهُمْ لَنُورٌ وَإِنَّهُمْ عَلَى نُورٍ لاَ يَخَافُونَ إِذَا خَافَ النَّاسُ وَلاَ يَحْزَنُونَ إِذَا حَزِنَ النَّاسُ " . وَقَرَأَ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ { أَلاَ إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
Zakhā’ir al-‘Uqbā p120
Abu Bakr replied: “I would not go ahead of a man about whom I heard the prophet said: ‘Ali is to me as I am to my Lord.
قال أبو بكر: ما كنت لأتقدّم رجلاً سمعت رسول الله يقول : عليّ منّي بمنزلتي من ربي
Musnad Ahmad 18333
Narrated to us Abu Naeem, from Yunus, from Al-Ayzar bin Harith, who said: Al-Nu’man bin Bashir said: Abu Bakr asked permission from the Messenger of Allah (to enter his house) and heard the voice of Aisha raised and she said: By Allah, I knew that Ali is more beloved to you than my father and me twice or three times, so Abu Bakr asked permission and entered and leaned towards her and said: daughter of so-and-so, do I hear you raising your voice to the Messenger of Allah?
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3721
Graded hassan
Mustadarak ala sahihain V3 p142
There was a bird with the Prophet (ﷺ), so he said: 'O Allah, send to me the most beloved of Your creatures to eat this bird with me.' So 'Ali came and ate with him."
Al musanaf v11 p148
Abduh bin Sulayman narrated from Abdul Malik bin Abi Sulayman that he asked Ata: Was there anyone among the companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) more knowledgeable than Imam Ali (a.s.)? Ata said: No, by God, I do not know of anyone like him
Al musanaf v11 p148
Abduh bin Sulayman narrated from Abdul Malik bin Abi Sulayman that he asked Ata: Was there anyone among the companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) more knowledgeable than Imam Ali (a.s.)? Ata said: No, by God, I do not know of anyone like him
Ali Khair ul bashar
Al damishq V42 p372–373
Yanābīʿ al-Mawaddah V2 p78
Tārīkh Baghdād v7 p433
Maʿārij al-ʿUlā fī Manāqib v1 p185
Ali is the most excellent of all people after me. Whoever denies this is indeed a kafir.
عَلِيٌّ خَيْرُ الْبَشَرِ، مَنْ أَبَى فَقَدْ كَفَرَ
