#najaf

Ali ع is love itself, and that love lives quietly in the hearts of those who seek truth. Those who remember him feel a closeness that cannot be spoken in words. In him, love became eternal, and through him, the path to the Beloved shines for every seeking soul.

This verse by Shams Tabrizi says:

نعره زِ هاى هُو كنم، سُوتى نجف روال شوم

بوسه به آستال كتم، وم بمروم علىّ علىّ

Na'arah ze haee hoo kunam,

Soo-e-Najaf rawaan shawam

Bosa Ba-astaan kanam,

Dam hama dam Ali Ali

During the Battle of Najaf, U.S. Marine James Hassell, risked his life to carry his wounded buddy, Ryan Borgstrom, 60 yards through open gunfire.

When the photographer captured the moment, Hassell simply said, "We're Marines. That's what we do." The Marines of Charlie Company 1st Battalion 4th Marine Regiment carried out a raid on the Najaf residence of Moqtada al-Sadr during the Battle of Najaf on August 12, 2004.

On August 27, 2004, the battle of Najaf came to an end.

U.S. Marines from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, flash some smiles as they exit their AAVs, upon returning to base, after a month-long clash against the fighters of the Mehdi Army in the Shiite holy city.

U.S. Marines from Charlie Company 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment carry out a raid on the Najaf residence of Moqtada al-Sadr during the Battle of Najaf on August 12, 2004.

Two U.S. Marines from 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, are photographed as they patrol through the streets of the old city in Najaf, in August 2004. Intense street fighting took place during the Marines' final assault which lasted almost 72 hours.

The setting sun shines on a group of U.S. Marines from 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, as they keep a watchful eye while taking a break in an abandoned house during the battle of Najaf in August 2004.