ALI IBN ABI TALIB
ALI IBN ABI TALIB
‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (/ˈɑːli, ɑːˈliː/;[7] Arabic: علي ابن أبي طالب, translit. ʿAlī bin Abī Ṭālib, Arabic pronunciation: [ʕaliː bɪn ʔabiː t̪ˤaːlɪb]; 13 Rajab, 21 BH – 21 Ramadan, 40 AH; 15 September 601[3] – 29 January 661)[2][3] was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic Nabi (Arabic: نَـبِي, Prophet) Muhammad, ruling over the Caliphate from 656 to 661 ACE, and was Imam of Shi‘ite from 632 to 661 ACE. [8]
Born to Abu Talib[8] and Fatimah bint Asad,[1] ‘Ali was the only person born in the sacred sanctuary of the Ka‘bah in Mecca, the holiest place in Islam, according to many classical Islamic sources, especially Shia ones.[1][9][10] ‘Ali was the first young male who accepted Islam.[11][12] After migrating to Medina, he married Muhammad's daughter Fatimah.[1] Ali took part in the early caravan raids from Mecca and later in almost all the battles fought by the nascent Muslim community. He was appointed caliph by Muhammad's Companions (Sahaba) in 656, after Caliph Uthman ibn Affan was assassinated.[13][14] ‘Ali's reign saw civil wars and in 661, he was attacked and assassinated by a Kharijite while praying in the Great Mosque of Kufa, dying two days later.[15][16][17]
‘Ali is important to various Sunni and Shi‘ite denominations politically, legislatively and spiritually.[18] The numerous biographical sources about Ali are often biased due to sectarianism, but they agree that he was a pious Muslim, devoted to the cause of Islam and a just ruler in accordance with the Qur’an and the Sunnah.[2] While Sunnis consider Ali the fourth and final of the Rashidun (rightly guided) caliphs, Shi‘ites regard ‘Ali as the first Imam after Muhammad due to their interpretation of the events at Ghadir Khumm. Shias also believe that ‘Ali and the other Shi‘ite Imams (all of whom are members of the Ahl al-Bayt, Muhammad's household) are the rightful successors to Muhammad. This disagreement split the Ummah (Muslim community) into the Sunni and Shia branches.[1][18][19][20]
Early years[edit]
Main articles: Family tree of Ali and Birthplace of Ali ibn Abi Talib
‘Ali's father, Abu Talib, was the custodian of the Ka'bah and a sheikh of the Banu Hashim, an important branch of the powerful Quraysh tribe. He was also an uncle of Muhammad. Ali's mother, Fatima bint Asad, also belonged to Banu Hashim, making Ali a descendant of Ismail (Ishmael), the son of Ibrahim (Abraham).[21] Many sources, especially Shi'i ones, attest that Ali was born inside the Kaaba in the city of Mecca,[22][1] where he stayed with his mother for three days.[1][10] Her mother reportedly felt the beginning of her labour pain while visiting Ka'ba and entered Ka'ba where his son was born.[23] Some Shia sources contain miraculous descriptions of the entrance of Ali's mother into Ka'ba. Ali's birth in Ka'ba is regarded as a unique event proving his "high spiritual station" among Shia, while among various Sunni scholars it is considered a great, if not unique, distinction.[24]
According to a tradition, Muhammad was the first person whom Ali saw as he took the newborn in his hands. Muhammad named him Ali, meaning "the exalted one". Muhammad had a close relationship with Ali's parents. When Muhammad was orphaned and later lost his grandfather Abdul Muttalib, Ali's father took him into his house.[1] Ali was born two or three years after Muhammad married Khadijah bint Khuwaylid.[25] When Ali was five or six years old, a famine occurred in and around Mecca, affecting the economic conditions of Ali's father, who had a large family to support. Muhammad took Ali into his home to raise him.[1][26][27]
Acceptance of Islam and aftermath[edit]
See also: Identity of the first male Muslim and Hijra (Islam)
The second period of ‘Ali's life began in 610 when he declared Islam at the age of 10, and ended with the Hijra of Muhammad to Medina in 622 ACE.[1] When Muhammad reported that he had received a divine revelation, Ali, then only about ten years old, believed him and professed to Islam.[1][2][26][28][29] According to Ibn Ishaq and some other authorities, Ali was the first male to embrace Islam.[30] Tabari adds other traditions making the similar claim of being the first Muslim in relation to Zayd ibn Harithah or Abu Bakr.[12][31] Some historians and scholars believe Ali's conversion is not worthy enough to consider him the first male Muslim because he was a child at the time.[32] Shia doctrine asserts that in keeping with Ali's divine mission, he accepted Islam before he took part in any pre-Islamic Meccan traditional religion rites, regarded by Muslims as polytheistic (see shirk) or paganistic. Hence the Shia say of Ali that his face is honoured, as it was never sullied by prostrations before idols.[26] The Sunnis also use the honorific Karam Allahu Wajhahu, which means "God's Favour upon his Face." The reason his acceptance is often not called a conversion is because he was never an idol worshipper like the people of Mecca. He was known to have broken idols in the mould of Abraham and asked people why they worshipped something they made themselves.[33] Ali's grandfather, along with some members of the Bani Hashim clan, were Hanifs, or followers of a monotheistic belief system prior to the coming of Islam.
Muhammad invited people to Islam in secret for three years before he started inviting them publicly. When he was commanded to invite his closer relatives to come to Islam[34] he gathered the Banu Hashim clan in a ceremony. According to al-Tabari, Ibn Athir and Abu al-Fida, Muhammad announced at invitational events that whoever assisted him in his invitation would become his brother, trustee and successor. Only ‘Ali, who was thirteen or fourteen years old, stepped forward to help him. This invitation was repeated three times, but ‘Ali was the only person who answered Muhammad. Recognizing ‘Ali's continual and singular response to his call, Muhammad declared that ‘Ali was his brother, inheritor and vice-regent and people must obey him. Most of the adults present were uncles of ‘Ali and Muhammad, and Abu Lahab laughed at them and declared to Abu Talib that he must bow down to his own son, as Ali was now his Emir.[35] This event is known as the Hadith of Warning. During the persecution of Muslims and boycott of the Banu Hashim in Mecca, Ali stood firmly in support of Muhammad.[36]
Migration to Medina[edit]
See also: Hijra (Islam)
In 622 ACE, the year of Muhammad's migration to Yathrib (now Medina), ‘Ali risked his life by sleeping in Muhammad's bed to impersonate him and thwart an assassination plot so that Muhammad could escape in safety.[1][26][37] This night is called Laylat al-Mabit. According to some ahadith, a verse was revealed about Ali concerning his sacrifice on the night of Hijra which says "And among men is he who sells his nafs (self) in exchange for the pleasure of Allah."[38][39]
‘Ali survived the plot, but risked his life again by staying in Mecca to carry out Muhammad's instructions: to restore to their owners all the goods and properties that had been entrusted to Muhammad for safekeeping. ‘Ali then went to Medina with his mother, Muhammad's daughter Fatimah, and two other women.[2][26]
Life in Medina[edit]
Muhammad's era[edit]
See also: Muhammad in Medina and Military career of Ali
‘Ali was 22 or 23 years old when he migrated to Medina. When Muhammad was creating bonds of brotherhood among his companions, he selected Ali as his brother.[2][26][40] For the ten years that Muhammad led the community in Medina, Ali was extremely active in his service as his secretary and deputy, serving in his armies, the bearer of his banner in every battle, leading parties of warriors on raids, and carrying messages and orders.[41] As one of Muhammad's lieutenants, and later his son-in-law, Ali was a person of authority and standing in the Muslim community.[42]
Family life[edit]
Main article: Ali marital life
In 623, Muhammad told ‘Ali that God ordered him to give his daughter Fatimah Zahra to Ali in marriage.[1] Muhammad said to Fatimah: "I have married you to the dearest of my family to me."[43] This family is glorified by Muhammad frequently and he declared them as his Ahl al-Bayt in events such as Mubahala and hadith like the Hadith of the Event of the Cloak. They were also glorified in the Qur’an in several cases such as "the verse of purification".[44][45]
‘Ali had four children born to Fatimah, the only child of Muhammad to have surviving progeny. Their two sons (Hasan and Husain) were cited by Muhammad to be his own sons, honoured numerous times in his lifetime and titled "the leaders of the youth of Jannah" (Heaven, the hereafter.)[46][47]
At the beginning they were extremely poor. For several years after his marriage, Fatimah did all of the household work by herself. The shoulder on which she carried pitchers of water from the well was swollen and the hand with which she worked the handmill to grind corn was often covered with blisters.[48] Fatimah vouched to take care of the household work, make dough, bake bread, and clean the house; in return, Ali vouched to take care of the outside work such as gathering firewood, and bringing food.[49] Their circumstances were akin to many of the Muslims at the time and only improved following the Battle of Khaybar when the wealth of Khaybar was distributed among the poor. When the economic situations of the Muslims became better, Fatimah gained some maids but treated them like her family and performed the house duties with them.[50]
Their marriage lasted until Fatimah's death ten years later. Although polygamy was permitted, Ali did not marry another woman while Fatimah was alive, and his marriage to her possesses a special spiritual significance for all Muslims because it is seen as the marriage between two great figures surrounding Muhammad. After Fatimah's death, Ali married other wives and fathered many children.[1]
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