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Rashidun caliph from 656 to 661 and Shia Imam / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ali ibn Abi Talib (Arabic: عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; c. 600–661) was a close companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the fourth successor (caliph) after his death, who ruled from 656 CE to 661. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib and Fatima bint Asad, a young Ali was raised by his elder cousin Muhammad and was among the first to accept his teachings. Ali played a pivotal role in the early years of Islam when Muslims were severely persecuted in Mecca.
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Ali عَلِيّ | |
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4th Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate | |
Reign | June 656 – January 661 |
Predecessor | Uthman ibn Affan |
Successor | Abolished position Hasan ibn Ali (as caliph) |
First Shia Imam | |
Tenure | June 632 – January 661 |
Predecessor | Established position |
Successor | Hasan ibn Ali |
Born | c. 600 CE Mecca, Hejaz, Arabia |
Died | c. 28 January 661 (c. 21 Ramadan AH 40) (aged c. 60) Kufa, Rashidun Caliphate |
Burial | |
Spouse | List of spouses
|
Issue | |
Tribe | Quraysh (Banu Hashim) |
Father | Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib |
Mother | Fatima bint Asad |
Religion | Islam |
After immigration (hijra) to Medina in 622, Ali married Muhammad's daughter Fatima, who later bore him Hasan and Husayn, the second and third Shia imams, respectively. In Medina, Ali served as Muhammad's secretary and deputy, and was the flag bearer of his army. Numerous sayings of Muhammad praise Ali, the most controversial of which was uttered in 632 at the Ghadir Khumm, "Whoever I am his mawla, this Ali is his mawla." However, the interpretation of the polysemous Arabic word mawla is disputed. For Shias, Muhammad thus invested Ali with his religious and political authority, while Sunnis view this as a mere statement of friendship and rapport. When Muhammad died in the same year, a group of Muslims met in the absence of Ali and appointed Abu Bakr (r. 632–634) as their leader. Ali later relinquished his claims to leadership and resigned from public life during the reigns of Abu Bakr and his successor, Umar (r. 634–644). Even though his advice was occasionally sought, the conflicts between Ali and the first two caliphs are epitomized by Ali's refusal to follow their practices, which cost Ali the caliphate to the benefit of Uthman (r. 644–656), who was thus appointed to succeed Umar. Ali was also highly critical of Uthman, who was widely accused of nepotism and corruption, but Ali also repeatedly mediated between the caliph and the provincial dissidents angered by his policies.
Following the assassination of Uthman in 656, Ali was elected caliph in Medina, but immediately faced two separate rebellions, both ostensibly to avenge Uthman: The triumvirate of Talha, Zubayr, both companions of Muhammad, and his widow Aisha captured Basra in Iraq but were defeated by Ali in the Battle of the Camel in 656. Elsewhere, Mu'awiya, whom Ali had dismissed from the governorship of Syria, fought against him the inconclusive Battle of Siffin in 657, which ended in a failed arbitration process that alienated some of Ali's supporters. These formed the Kharijites, who later terrorized the public and were crushed by Ali in the Battle of Nahrawan in 658. However, Ali was assassinated in 661 by the Kharijite dissident Ibn Muljam, which paved the way for Mu'awiya to seize power and found the dynastic Umayyad Caliphate.
Ali's place is said to be second only to Muhammad in Muslim culture. Ali is revered for his courage, honesty, unbending devotion to Islam, magnanimity, and equal treatment of all Muslims. For his admirers, he has thus become the archetype of uncorrupted Islam and pre-Islamic chivalry. Sunni Muslims regard him as the last of the Rashudin (lit. 'rightly-guided') caliphs, while Shia Muslims venerate him as their first imam, that is, the rightful religious and political successor to Muhammad. The shrine of Ali in Najaf, Iraq, is a major destination for Shia pilgrimage. The legacy of Ali is collected in numerous books, the most famous of which is Nahj al-balagha.