Ali

Cousin and son-in-law of Islamic prophet Muhammad

?Ali ibn Abi ?alib (Arabic: ?????? ??? ????? ??????; c. 600 – 661 CE) was a cousin, son-in-law, and companion of Muhammad. Ali was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he is considered the first Shia Imam.

The issue of his succession caused a major rift between Muslims and divided them into Shia and Sunni groups. Ali was assassinated in the Grand Mosque of Kufa in 661 by the forces of Mu'awiya, who went on to found the Umayyad Caliphate.

The Imam Ali Shrine and the city of Najaf were built around Ali's tomb and it is visited yearly by millions of devotees.

Ali was born in Mecca, raised by Muhammad from the age of 5, and accepted his claim of divine revelation by age 11, being among the first to do so.

Ali played a pivotal role in the early years of Islam while Muhammad was in Mecca and under severe persecution.

After Muhammad's relocation to Medina in 622, Ali married his daughter Fatima and fathered Hasan, Husayn, Zaynab, and Umm Kulthum, among others.

Muhammad called him his brother, guardian and successor, and he was the flag bearer in most of the wars and became famous for his bravery.

On his return from the Farewell Pilgrimage, at Ghadir Khumm, Muhammad uttered the phrase, "Whoever I am his Mawla, this Ali is his Mawla." But the meaning of Mawla was disputed by Shias and Sunnis.

Shias believe in the establishment of the Imamate and caliphate regarding Ali, and the Sunnis interpret the word as friendship and love.

While Ali was preparing Muhammad's body for burial, a group of Muslims met at Saqifah and pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr.

Ali pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr, after six months, but did not take part in the wars and political activity, except for the election of Uthman, the third caliph.

However, he advised the three caliphs in religious, judicial, and political matters. After Uthman was killed, Ali was elected as the next Caliph, which coincided with the first civil wars between Muslims.

Ali faced two separate opposition forces: a group led by Aisha, Talha, and Zubayr in Mecca, who wanted to convene a council to determine the caliphate; and another group led by Mu'awiya in the Levant, who demanded revenge for Uthman's blood.

He defeated the first group in the Battle of the Camel; but in the end, the Battle of Siffin with Mu'awiya was militarily ineffective, and led to an arbitration which ended politically against him.

Then, in the year 38 AH (658-659), he fought with the Kharijites - who considered Ali's acceptance of arbitration as heresy, and revolted against him - in Nahrawan and defeated them.

Eventually Ali was defeated by Mu'awiya. Slain by the sword of Ibn Muljam Moradi, he was buried outside the city of Kufa.

Ali did not want to involve himself in the game of political deception which deprived him of success in life, but, in the eyes of his admirers, he became an example of the piety of the primary un-corrupted Islam, as well as the chivalry of pre-Islamic Arabia.

Several books are dedicated to the hadiths, sermons, and prayers narrated by him, the most famous of which is Nahj al-Balagha.