Ali

Ali ibn Abu Talib (Arabic: علي بن أبي طالب) (c. 21st March 598 – 661) was the fourth caliph or successor of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. He was also the Prophet's cousin, and, after marrying Fatima, his son-in-law as well. He is revered by Shi'a Muslims as the rightful first caliph and the first imam, and by the majority Sunni Muslims as one of the Khulafa-e-Rashidun, the exemplary first four rightly guided caliphs.

Early life

Ali was born at Mecca, in the Hejaz region of northern Arabia, sometime around 599 CE (the year is an approximation only). His father, Abu Talib, was a member of the powerful tribe of the Quraysh, and an uncle to the young Muhammad. When Muhammad was orphaned and then lost his grandfather, Abu Talib took the orphan boy into his house. Ali and Muhammad were cousins raised as brothers. Ali was like a younger brother, looking up to Muhammad and ready to follow his lead. When Muhammad reported that he had received a divine revelation, Ali was one of the first to believe him and profess Islam.

Ali stood firm in support of Muhammad during the years of persecution in Mecca. In 622, the year of Muhammad's flight to Yathrib, or Medina, Ali risked his life by sleeping in the Prophet's bed to impersonate him and thwart an assassination plot, so that the Prophet could flee in safety. Ali survived the plot, but risked his life still further by staying in Medina to carry out Muhammad's last instructions: Ali was to restore all the goods and properties that had been entrusted to Muhammad for safekeeping.

Ali in Medina

The small community of Muslim immigrants in Medina, the Muhajirun, were at first extremely poor. They had no land, no houses, and lived on the charity of the Medinans who had converted to Islam (the Ansar). They hired themselves out to work and also raided caravans since they where in war with the mecca Banu Umayyed clan after their assassination attempt on Muhammad. Ali shared in all the labor and hardships of the community.

Badr

Ali first distinguished himself as a warrior in 624, at the battle of Badr by killing the Banu Umayyed champion Walid ibn Utba. He is said to have killed numerous Meccan soldiers, and was publicly praised by Muhammad. After this, he was emboldened to ask for the hand of Fatima Zahra, Muhammad's daughter by Khadija, in marriage. Fatima and Muhammad consented, and the marriage was solemnized two months after the battle. (ref)

Ali was extremely active in the service of Muhammad, serving in his armies, leading parties of warriors on raids, carrying messages and orders.

Uhud

On the battlefield of Uhud, Ali stood by the side of Muhammad. This battle was lost due to the mistake of the Muslim archers who had left the pass undefended. Disorder and panic spread in Muslim ranks and people took to flight. The rumor spread that the Muhammad had been killed and in the midst of all this confusion, Ali was one of few who did not abandon Muahmmad. The enemy had dug a deep pit and covered it with twigs and grass where Muhammad. Ali with the help of Abu Bakr and Talha pulled him out. The wounds received by the Holy Prophet were washed and dressed by Ali and Fatima. Ali himself received seventeen wounds in this battle. (ref)

Tabuk

In 9 A.H., Muhammad prepared to lead an expedition against Syria. This was the well-known expedition of Tabuk. Muhammad saw potential threats to the security of Medina, the capital city and decided to leave Ali behind as his viceroy. Ali asked if he was going to be left behind with the women. (ref) Muhammad said:

"Will you not be pleased that you will be to me like Aaron to Moses? But there will be no prophet after me." (ref)

Ali was the hero of many a battle fought in the lifetime of Muhammad. Whith the exception of Tabuk, he joined all battles and expeditions. As Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali was a person of authority and standing in the Muslim community.

The death of Muhammad

This is an extremely contentious issue, covered in detail in the Succession to Muhammad. Muslims ultimately split into sects based on their attitudes towards this issue. The Shi'a believe that Muhammad wanted Ali to succeed him, and that Ali was a victim of worldly intrigue

Sunni view

Muhammad had been ailing for some time, but seemed to have recovered somewhat. He left his house to take part in prayers at the mosque -- then returned to the quarters of his wife Aisha and died.

While Ali was washing Muhammad's body, preparing it for burial, the Muslims of Medina were arguing about who should succeed Muhammad as the leader of the community. Ali had a strong claim to the leadership, both as one of Muhammad's closest assistants and as his cousin and son-in-law. But he was passed over for the leadership and was eventually forced to swear fealty to Abu Bakr, another prominent Muslim.

This is an extremely contentious issue, covered in detail in the Succession to Muhammad. Muslims ultimately split into sects based on their attitudes towards this issue. The Shi'a believe that Muhammad wanted Ali to succeed him, and that Ali was a victim of worldly intrigue; the Sunni believe that the community made a wise choice in uniting behind Abu Bakr.

While Ali was slow to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr, once having pledged he served the new leader faithfully -- as he did the next two caliphs, Umar al-Khattab and Uthman ibn Affan.

the Sunni believe that the community made a wise choice in uniting behind Abu Bakr.

While Ali was slow to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr, once having pledged he served the new leader faithfully -- as he did the next two caliphs, Umar al-Khattab and Uthman ibn Affan.

Shia view

Muhammad had been ailing for some time had his health turn to the worse. Suddenly was reached with the new that Abu Bakr was leading the prayer mosque. This was seen by him as an ill omen, since Abu Bakr was supposed to be outside Medina after having been ordered to go to Syria with Usamas dispatchment (ref) while the Banu Hashim where ordered to stay in Medina. Muhammad went and pushed Abu Bakr aside and lead the rest of the prayer himself (ref). Shortly after that Muhammad died in Alis arm.(ref)

While Ali was washing Muhammad's body, preparing it for burial, some of the Muslims of Medina were participating in a meeting, resulting in Abu Bakr being chosen as the one to have power after Muhammad. One of Abu Bakrs argument for being elected was that he was Banu Quraish and hence a closer relative to Muhammad then the Ansar. Ali had a strong claim to the leadership, both as one of Muhammad's closest assistants and as his cousin and son-in-law.

Since almost all of Banu Hashim was not informed of this meeting, none of them acknowledged it and refused to accept its result. Ali was forcefully dragged to Abu Bakt by Umar ibn al-Khattab and Khalid ibn Walid. During death threats Ali was demanded to give his oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr however, Ali refused. Then Fatimah, wounded from the assault, came to Abu Bakr. Seeing her condition, Abu Bakr said that he will not force Ali as long as Fatima is alive. (ref 1, 2)

Later Abu Bakr denied Fatimah her inheritance and also confiscated some land she was gifted earlier by muhammad, the land of Fadak. Due to this Ali though of Abu Bakr as a "liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest" (ref) and Fatima said: "By Allah, I will curse you in every prayer that I do." (ref) and refused to talk to Abu Bakr during the rest of her life.

75 days to 6 month after the death of Muahmmad, sources differ, Fatima died. She was buried in secret and neither Abu Bakr nor Umar was informed (ref). Ali had stirred four older graves as well, to hide the location of Fatimas grave. Umar, seeing this, ordered that all graves to be exhumed to find out where her grave was. At that, Ali went and brought his sword thulfiqar and extremely upset he said: "'If anyone moves even a more stone from these graves, I shall strike even the back of the last follower of the unjust."(ref)

He did this since it was on of Fatimahs two last wishes. Ali then Married Zaynab to complete Fatimas last will.

Umar later took Ali with force to Abu Bakr again. Abu Bakr when behind Ali and tool his back bound hands and claimed to have gotten Alis oath of allegiance. Ali did not dispute it, since he feared a civil war. After the news spread, the rest of Banu Hashim also gave their oath of aligned.

During the course of this events, Abu Sufiyan ibn Harb offered Ali his support, but Ali refused.

Later, Ali recalled this events in his Sermon of ash-Shiqshiqiyyah:

Beware! By Allah the son of Abu Quhafah (Abu Bakr)dressed himself with it (the caliphate) and he certainly knew that my position in relation to it was the same as the position of the axis in relation to the hand-mill. The flood water flows down from me and the bird cannot fly up to me. I put a curtain against the caliphate and kept myself detached from it.

Then I began to think whether I should assault or endure calmly the blinding darkness of tribulations wherein the grown up are made feeble and the young grow old and the true believer acts under strain till he meets Allah (on his death). I found that endurance thereon was wiser. So I adopted patience although there was pricking in the eye and suffocation (of mortification) in the throat. I watched the plundering of my inheritance till the first one went his way but handed over the Caliphate to Ibn al-Khattab after himself.

It is strange that during his lifetime he wished to be released from the caliphate but he confirmed it for the other one after his death. No doubt these two shared its udders strictly among themselves

Succession to the caliphate

Uthman was an unpopular leader. In 656, he was killed in his own house, in Medina, by rebellious Muslim soldiers. Medina, now a large city and the capital of an empire stretching from Africa to Central Asia, fell into chaos. In a crisis, the citizens turned to Ali, who had been for years the faithful and steady lieutenant, the man who could be relied upon. They begged him to serve as caliph. Ali at first refused. He was horrified by the assassination of Uthman, and did not wish to appear to be profiting from the situation. But the Medinans assured him that he was the only one who could restore unity to the Muslims. So Ali was -- finally -- proclaimed caliph.

Opponents at the time claimed that he had connived at the murder of Uthman, but current opinion absolves him of any blame. A contemporary scholar, Wilferd Madelung, uses traditional materials to argue that Ali had done his best to mediate between Uthman and the rebels, and had given up in despair when Uthman reneged on promises he had made.

For a fuller discussion of this and succeeding events, see the first Muslim civil war.

Caliphate

Almost the first act of his caliphate was to put down a rebellion led by Talha and al-Zubayr (two eminent companions of Muhammad), who were urged on by Aisha, Muhammad's widow. In the view of Shi'as, she was a bitter enemy of Ali, and one of the chief hindrances to his advancement to the caliphate. The rebel army was defeated at the Battle of Basra (also known as the Battle of the Camel); the two generals were killed, and Aisha was captured and escorted with all respect to Medina, where she was given a pension.

Soon thereafter Ali dismissed several provincial governors, some of whom were relatives of Uthman, and replaced them with companions of the Prophet (such as Salman the Persian) or trusted aides (such as Malik al-Ashtar). Ali then transfered his capital from Medina to Kufa, the Muslim garrison city in what is now Iraq. The capital of the province of Syria, Damascus, was held by Mu'awiyah, the governor of Syria and a kinsman of Ali's slain predecessor.

Mu'awiyah raised an army and marched against Ali, demanding vengeance for the death of Uthman. A prolonged battle took place in July 657 in the plain of Siffin (Suffein), near the Euphrates; the battle seemed to be turning in favor of Ali, when a number of the opposing army, fixing copies of the Qur'an to the points of their spears, exclaimed that "the matter ought to be settled by reference to this book, which forbids Muslims to shed each other's blood."

At this point, the soldiers of Ali refused to fight any longer, and demanded that the issue be referred to arbitration. Abu Musa Asha'ri was appointed advocate for Ali, and `Amr-ibn-al-As, a veteran diplomat, was for Mu'awiyah. It is claimed that `Amr persuaded Abu Musa that it would be for the advantage of Islam that neither candidate should reign, and asked him to give his decision first. Abu Musa having proclaimed that he deposed both Ali and Mu'awiyah, `Amr declared that he also deposed Ali, but invested Mu'awiyah with the caliphate. This decision greatly injured the cause of Ali, which was still further weakened by the loss of Egypt.

Death

File:Meshed ali usnavy.jpg

Imam_Ali_Mosque Ali is believed by many to be buried here in Najaf, Iraq.

According to tradition, three Muslim zealots (purists later termed Kharijites) had agreed to assassinate Ali, Mu'awiyah and `Amr, as the authors of disastrous feuds among the faithful. The assassins sent against Mu'awiyan and `Amr failed; the only assassin who succeeded was the one who attacked Ali.

Ali was stabbed on the head by a poisoned sword while he was performing morning prayers. Before he died, he is said to have ordered that his assassin, Abdur Rahman bin Muljam al Sarimi, be killed quickly and humanely, rather than tortured. Ali died in Kufa in 661.

A splendid mosque called Mashad Ali was afterwards erected near the city at Najaf, the place of his burial (although some believe he is buried at Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan).

Descendants

Main article: Descendants of Ali ibn Abi Talib

Ali had eight wives after Fatima's death, and in all, it is said, thirty-three children, one of whom, Hassan, a son of Fatima, is said to have refrained from publicly claiming the caliphate, so as to prevent further bloodshed among Muslims. Muawiyah I thus became caliph and established the Umayyad dynasty of caliphs. Hassan is, however, revered by all Shi'a as the second imam; his brother Hussein is reckoned as the third.

Ali's descendants by Fatima are known as sharifs, sayyeds, or sayyids. These are honorific titles in Arabic, sharif meaning 'noble' and sayyed/sayyid meaning 'lord' or 'sir'. As Muhammad's only descendents, they are respected by both Sunni and Shi'a, though the Shi'a place much more emphasis and value on the distinction.

Many Muslim notables are descendents of Muhammad. The Hashemite royal families of Jordan and Iraq, the Alaouite royal family of Morocco, and the Aga Khans of the Ismaili community claim direct descent from the prophet through Ali and Fatima. There are also many humbler "sayyeds" whose only distinction may be the title in front of their name, or the right to wear a black turban (a sign of Alid descent in some communities).

Legacy

File:ImamAli.jpg

Imaginary portrait of Ali ibn Abi Talib, by Iranian artist. Many Shi'as traditionally keep such portraits in shops, houses, and other readily visible places to constantly remind them of Ali's legacy.

Ali is greatly respected by most Muslims (the Ibadi might be the only dissenters). The Shi'a in particular venerate him as second only to the prophet. They also celebrate the anniversaries of his martyrdom and birth; the Shia version of the confession of faith also includes an explicit reference to Ali. Ali is described as a bold, noble and generous man, "the last and worthiest of the first generation Muslims, who imbibed his religious enthusiasm from companionship with the prophet himself, and who followed to the last the simplicity of his example."

British historian and orientalist Thomas Carlyle calls him "noble-minded...full of affection and fiery daring. Something chivalrous in him; brave as a lion; yet with a grace, a truth and affection worthy of Christian knighthood" in his book On Heroes And Hero Worship And The Heroic In History.

In the eyes of the later Muslims he was remarkable for learning and wisdom, and there are extant collections of proverbs and verses which bear his name: the Sentences of Ali. The most famous collection of Ali's speeches and letters is the Nahj al Balagha meaning "The peak of eloquence". A few famous quotes from his works:

• Inability is a disaster; patience is bravery; abstinence is a treasure, self-restraint is a shield; and the best companion is submission to Divine Will.
• Socialize with people in such a manner that when you die, they should weep for you and as long as you live, they should long for your company.
• Greed is a permanent slavery.
• Submission to God's will is the cure of the misery of the heart.

Source: Nahjul Balagah (The Peak of Eloquence) [1]

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Etymological note: Shi'a, in Arabic, means "party of, or partisans of." Shi'a is actually an abbreviation of Shi'at Ali, meaning "the partisans of Ali [and his descendants]."

See also

• Family tree of Ali ibn Abu Talib
• Imam Ali Mosque
• Shiites
• Ismailis
• Fatimids
• Hashemites
• Alawite
• Alevi
• Shia Imams
• Wali
• Succession to Muhammad

• Sahaba

External links

• Biography from USC's MSA website
• Website devoted to the Life of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib
• Election of Ali as Caliph
• Sayings of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib
• Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib
• Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib The Commander of the Faithfull
• Imam Ali foundation
• Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Nahjul Balagha