THE BIOGRAPHY OF IMAM ALI (AS)

[Taqavi]

Who was Imam Ali (AS): A Brief Biography?

 

Imam Ali (AS) opened his eyes to the world on the 13th of Rajab, 30 Am al-Fil, in the city of Mecca and inside the Kaaba. He was the son of Abu Talib bin Abd al-Muttalib bin Hashim, from the Banu Hashim and Quraysh clan. He is the first Imam of the Shiites[1] and the fourth Caliph among the Rightly Guided Caliphs in the view of Sunnis. [2] He was the first believer in the Prophet (SAW) and, from the Shiite perspective, is considered the immediate successor of the Prophet by divine command and the Prophet's explicit designation. [3] Verses of the Quran also testify to his purity and infallibility from any impurity. [4]

His father, Abu Talib, was the uncle and protector of the Prophet (SAW), who passed away on the 26th of Rajab after years of supporting the Prophet, [5] while he had kept his faith hidden from others. [6] His mother was Fatima bint Asad, one of the great women of Quraysh. [7] His brothers were Talib, Aqil, and Ja'far, and his sister was Umm Hani (Fakhita or Jumanah). [8]

The Imam's most famous Kunya is "Abu al-Hasan",[9] and among his prominent titles are "Wasi of the Prophet," "Husband of Batul," "Destroyer of Polytheism," "Digger of Khaybar," "Father of the Imams," "Caliph of God," "Amir al-Mu'minin," "Abu Turab," and "Haydar." [10]

At the age of six, due to a famine in Mecca, the Great Prophet took Ali (AS) to his own home to help Abu Talib and undertook his guardianship. [11] Imam Ali (AS) later recalled that period as follows: "The Prophet would seat me beside him, place me on his chest, let me sleep in his bed, and feed me the food he chewed; he never heard a lie from me nor saw a mistake in my conduct." [12]

The Imam's first wife was Lady Fatima (SA), the daughter of the Prophet. [13] Despite proposals from prominent figures, the Prophet considered the marriage of Zahra to be by divine command. [14] According to historians, the date of their marriage was either the 1st of Dhu al-Hijjah, 2 AH[15] or the 21st of Muharram. [16] The fruit of this marriage was five children: Hasan, Husayn, Muhsin (who was miscarried), Zaynab al-Kubra, and Umm Kulthum al-Kubra. [17] After the martyrdom of Lady Fatima (SA), Imam Ali (AS) married Ummamah, the daughter of Abu al-As, in accordance with her will. [18] His other wives were: Khawla bint Ja'far, Umm al-Banin, Umm Habib bint Rabi'ah, Asma bint Umays, Umm Sa'id, Umm Shu'ayb al-Makhzumiyyah, Hamla bint Masruq, and Muhayyah bint Imri' al-Qais. [19]

 

Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (AS) was introduced as the successor and Imam after the Prophet (SAW) by divine command on the Day of Ghadir Khumm, and this Wilayah was publicly announced. [20] This historic declaration led some to plan to seize the Caliphate after the passing of the Prophet. After the death of the Messenger of God (SAW), a group of Ansar gathered at Saqifah Bani Sa'idah to take control of the Caliphate. However, Umar and Abu Bakr, learning of this gathering, rushed to Saqifah and, by exploiting the differences between the Aws and Khazraj tribes and applying pressure, forced the Ansar to accept Abu Bakr's Caliphate. [21] Thus, the Caliphate deviated from the divine path, and the right of Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (AS) was ignored.

Imam Ali (AS) made his opposition to the usurpation of the Caliphate clear by refusing to pledge allegiance and resisting the Saqifah current. This steadfastness led a group of supporters of Saqifah to raid his house and forcibly remove the Imam. [22] According to some accounts, the Imam refrained from pledging allegiance until after the martyrdom of Lady Fatima al-Zahra (SA). [23] Nevertheless, faced with the prevailing conditions, he avoided armed uprising and chose the path of patience. As he himself said: "I saw that in those conditions, patience was wiser; so I chose the path of endurance, even though it was bitter and difficult, like one who has a thorn in his eye and a bone in his throat, and I saw my legacy being plundered." [24]

With the beginning of his Caliphate, the Imam (AS) fought against Talha, Zubayr, and Aisha, who had broken their allegiance, and with the support of the people of Kufa, he emerged victorious. Therefore, the Imam (AS) was pleased with them on this account. [25] In the year 40 AH, the Imam (AS) went to war with the Kharijites and defeated them. [26] Then, he engaged in battle with Mu'awiyah. Some of the Imam's companions testified that Mu'awiyah was seeking worldly gain for himself and was using the blood of Uthman as a pretext; thus, they asked the Imam (AS) to issue a command to fight him. [27] The Imam (AS) tried to mobilize the people of Iraq to confront Syria, but they did not cooperate. Mu'awiyah took advantage of this weakness, raided the Imam's territory, and paved the way for dominance over Iraq. [28]

The Martyrdom and Burial Place of Imam Ali (AS)

The Imam (AS) was preparing the army to march to Siffin when, on the morning of the 19th of Ramadan, 40 AH, he was wounded by Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam al-Muradi and achieved martyrdom on the 21st of Ramadan. There is a difference of opinion regarding the night he was struck; Ibn Abi al-Hadid considers the night of the 17th of Ramadan to be the famous view, while the report of Abi Mikhnaf and the opinion of the majority of Shiites confirm the night of the 19th of Ramadan. [29] Historical sources have mentioned the Kharijites' conspiracy to kill three individuals, including the Imam (AS), Mu'awiyah, and Amr ibn al-As, and the role of a woman named Qattam in the martyrdom of Imam Ali (AS) is also noted. [30]

After the martyrdom, the Imam's children—Hasan, Husayn, and Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah—along with Abdullah ibn Ja'far, buried his body at night in al-Ghariyyan (present-day Najaf) to remain safe from enemy attacks; [31] for there was fear that the Umayyads and Kharijites would exhume the grave and disrespect the Imam's pure body. The Imam (AS) himself had willed that his burial place remain hidden. [32] This location was known only to his children and special companions until Imam Sadiq (AS) revealed the location of the grave in Najaf during the time of Mansur al-Abbasi, in the year 135 AH. [33]

 

 

---

[1] . Al-Irshad, Shaykh al-Mufid, Vol. 1, p. 5.

[2] . Al-Nihayah fi Gharib al-Hadith wa al-Athar, Ibn al-Athir, Majd al-Din, Vol. 2, p. 225 / Lisan al-Arab, Ibn Manzur, Vol. 3, p. 175.

[3] . Al-Ma'idah: 67 «يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ ۖ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ»

[4] . Al-Ahzab: 33 «... إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا»

[5] . Mishbah al-Mutahajjid, Shaykh al-Tusi, Vol. 1, p. 812.

[6] . Al-Amali, Shaykh al-Saduq, Vol. 1, p. 712 / Al-Kafi, Shaykh al-Kulayni, Vol. 1, p. 448.

[7] . Al-Irshad, Shaykh al-Mufid, Vol. 1, p. 5.

[8] . Manaqib Al Abi Talib, Ibn Shahrashub, Vol. 3, p. 89.

[9] . Al-Irshad, Shaykh al-Mufid, Vol. 1, p. 5.

[10] . Manaqib Al Abi Talib, Ibn Shahrashub, Vol. 1, p. 260.

[11] . Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Ibn Hisham al-Hamiri, Vol. 1, p. 162.

[12] . Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon 192, p. 202.

[13] . Al-Irshad, Shaykh al-Mufid, Vol. 1, p. 5.

[14] . Bihar al-Anwar, Allama al-Majlisi, Vol. 43, p. 125.

[15] . Masar al-Shi'a, Shaykh al-Mufid, p. 17.

[16] . Al-Iqbal bi'l-A'mal al-Hasanah, Sayyid ibn Tawus, Vol. 3, p. 92.

[17] . Mustadrak Avalem al-Ulum, Sheikh Abdullah al-Bahrani al-Isfahani, Vol. 11, p. 938.

[18] . Bihar al-Anwar, Allama al-Majlisi, Vol. 81, p. 233.

[19] . Manaqib Al Abi Talib, Ibn Shahrashub, Vol. 3, p. 305.

[20] . Imam Ali (AS) from the Cradle to the Grave, Qazwini, Muhammad Kazim, pp. 194-196.

[21] . Ibid., p. 229.

[22] . Al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah, Ibn Qutaybah al-Dinawari, Vol. 1, p. 20.

[23] . Al-Saqifah, Muzaffar, Mohammad Reza, p. 149.

[24] . Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon 3, p. 9.

[25] . Sirah Amir al-Mu'minin, Ali al-Kurani al-Amili, Vol. 3, p. 255.

[26] . Nasikh al-Tawarikh, Muhammad Taqi Lisan al-Mulk Sepah, Vol. 4, p. 46.

[27] . Ibid., Vol. 1, p. 375.

[28] . Gozideh-ye Hayat-e Siyasi va Fikri-ye Imaman-e Shia, Jafarian, Rasul, p. 153.

[29] . Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, Ibn Abi al-Hadid, Vol. 1, p. 15.

[30] . Gozideh-ye Hayat-e Siyasi va Fikri-ye Imaman-e Shia, Jafarian, Rasul, p. 153.

[31] . Al-Irshad, Shaykh al-Mufid, Vol. 1, p. 25.

[32] . Bihar al-Anwar, Allama al-Majlisi, Vol. 42, p. 338 / Al-Irshad, Shaykh al-Mufid, Vol. 1, p. 10.

[33] . Al-Khara'ij wa al-Jara'ih, Qutb al-Din al-Rawandi, Vol. 1, p. 234.