Why is Ali (as) called Abu Turab?

Ma'ani al akhbaar

(باب) * (معنى أبى تراب) *

 

Section (on the) (meaning of abi Turab)

 

 أبي - رحمه الله - قال: حدثنا علي بن إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن أبيه، عن محمد بن خالد البرقي، عن أبي قتادة القمي رفعه إلى أبي عبد الله عليه السلام و ] حدثنا أحمد بن الحسن القطان العدل، قال: حدثنا أبو العباس أحمد بن يحيى بن زكريا القطان، قال: حدثنا بكر بن عبد الله بن حبيب، قال: حدثنا تميم بن بهلول، عن أبيه، قال: حدثنا أبو الحسن العبدي، عن سليمان بن مهران، عن عباية بن ربعي، قال: قلت: لعبد الله بن العباس لم كنى رسول الله صلى الله عليه واله عليا عليه السلام أبا تراب ؟ قال: لانه صاحب الارض، وحجة الله على أهلها بعده، وبه بقاؤها وإليه سكونها، ولقد سمعت رسول الله عليه واله يقول: إذا كان يوم القيامة ورأى الكافر ما أعد الله تبارك وتعالى لشيعة علي من الثواب والزلفى والكرامة قال: ياليتني كنت ترابا.  أي ياليتني كنت من شيعة علي. وذلك قول الله عزوجل: " ويقول الكافر ياليتني كنت ترابا

 

[My (Shaikh Sadooq's) father (ra) said: Told us Ali b. Ibrahim b. Hashim, from his father, from Muhammad b. Khalid al Barqi, from abi Qutadah al Qumi who lifted it (i.e. narrated in ma'rfoo manner) to abi Abdullah (as) and] told us Ahmad b. al Hasan al Qatan al Adl, who said: Told us Abul Abbas Ahmad b. Yahya b. Zakariyya al Qatan, who said: Told us Bakr b. Abdullah b. Habib, who said: Told us Tamim b. Bahlool, from his father, who said: Told us Abul Hasan al Abdi, from Sulaiman b. Mehran, from Ubayah b. Rab'i, who said: I said to Abdullah b. Abbas: "Why did Rasool Allah (pbuh) title Ali (as) aba Turab (father of the dust)?" [Abdullah b. Abbas] said: For that he (as) is owner/master of the land, and hujjah (proof) of Allah (swt) upon its people after him (pbuh), and by him (as) is its survival and to (through) him (as) is its peace/calm, and for certainly I heard Rasool Allah (pbuh) say: "When it is day of the qiyamah (judgement day) and the kafir (disbeliever) will see what Allah (swt) promised to shia of Ali (as) from the reward and status/position and blessing; said (i.e. kafir would say): "I wish I was turab (dust)." Which means "I wish I was from ali (as)'s shia." and that is from Allah (swt)'s saying (in al Qur'an 78:40, Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation): "and the Unbeliever will say, "Woe unto me! Would that I were (metre) dust!".