National Muslim Student Asssociation of the USA and Canada
"You [Ali] are my brother in this world and the next." (Hadith)
Ali's Election
After Uthman's martyrdom, the office of the caliphate remained unfilled for
two or three days. Many people insisted that Ali should take up the
office, but he was embarrassed by the fact that the people who pressed him
hardest were the rebels, and he therefore declined at first. When the
notable Companions of the Prophet (peace be on him) urged him, however, he
finally agreed.
Ali's Life
Ali bin Abi Talib was the first cousin of the Prophet (peace be on
him). More than that, he had grown up in the Prophet's own household, later
married his youngest daughter, Fatima, and remained in closest association
with him for nearly thirty years.
Ali was ten years old when the Divine Message came to Muhammad (peace be on
him). One night he saw the Prophet and his wife Khadijah bowing and
prostrating. He asked the Prophet about the meaning of their actions. The
Prophet told him that they were praying to God Most High and that Ali too
should accept Islam. Ali said that he would first like to ask his father
about it. He spent a sleepless night, and in the morning he went to the
Prophet and said, "When God created me He did not consult my father, so
why should I consult my father in order to serve God?" and he accepted the
truth of Muhammad's message.
When the Divine command came, "And warn thy nearest relatives"
[26:214],
Muhammad (peace be on him) invited his relatives for a meal. After it was
finished, he addressed them and asked, "Who will join me in the cause of
God?" There was utter silence for a while, and then Ali stood up. "I am the
youngest of all present here," he said, "My eyes trouble me because they
are sore and my legs are thin and weak, but I shall join you and help you
in whatever way I can." The assembly broke up in derisive laughter. But
during the difficult wars in Mecca, Ali stood by these words and faced all
the hardships to which the Muslims were subjected. He slept in the bed of
the Prophet when the Quraish planned to murder Muhammad. It was he to whom
the Prophet entrusted, when he left Mecca, the valuables which had been
given to him for safekeeping, to be returned to their owners.
Apart from the expedition of Tabuk, Ali fought in all the early battles of
Islam with great distinction, particularly in the expedition of Khaybar. It
is said that in the Battle of Uhud he received more than sixteen wounds.
The Prophet (peace be on him) loved Ali dearly and called him by many
fond names. Once the Prophet found him sleeping in the dust. He brushed
off Ali's clothes and said fondly, "Wake up, Abu Turab (Father of Dust)."
The Prophet also gave him the title of 'Asadullah' ('Lion of God').
Ali's humility, austerity, piety, deep knowledge of the Qur'an and his
sagacity gave him great distinction among the Prophet's Companions. Abu
Bakr, 'Umar and Uthman consulted him frequently during their
caliphates. Many times 'Umar had made him his vice-regent at Medina when he
was away. Ali was also a great scholar of Arabic literature and pioneered
in the field of grammar and rhetoric. His speeches, sermons and letters
served for generations afterward as models of literary expression. Many of
his wise and epigrammatic sayings have been preserved. Ali thus had a rich
and versatile personality. In spite of these attainments he remained a
modest and humble man. Once during his caliphate when he was going about
the marketplace, a man stood up in respect and followed him. "Do not do
it," said Ali. "Such manners are a temptation for a ruler and a disgrace
for the ruled."
Ali and his household lived extremely simple and austere lives. Sometimes
they even went hungry themselves because of Ali's great generosity, and
none who asked for help was ever turned away from his door. His plain,
austere style of living did not change even when he was ruler over a vast
domain.
Ali's Caliphate
As mentioned previously, Ali accepted the caliphate very reluctantly.
Uthman's murder and the events surrounding it were a symptom, and also
became a cause, of civil strife on a large scale. Ali felt that the tragic
situation was mainly due to inept governors. He therefore dismissed all
the governors who had been appointed by Uthman and appointed new ones. All
the governors excepting Muawiya, the governor of Syria, submitted to his
orders. Muawiya declined to obey until Uthman's blood was avenged. The
Prophet's widow Aisha also took the position that Ali should first bring
the murderers to trial. Due to the chaotic conditions during the last days
of Uthman it was very difficult to establish the identity of the murderers,
and Ali refused to punish anyone whose guilt was not lawfully proved. Thus
a battle between the army of Ali and the supporters of Aisha took
place. Aisha later realized her error of judgment and never forgave herself
for it.
The situation in Hijaz (thc part of Arabia in which Mecca and Medina are
located) became so troubled that Ali moved his capital to Iraq. Muawiya now
openly rebelled against Ali and a fierce battle was fought between their
armies. This battle was inconclusive, and Ali had to accept the de facto
government of Muawiya in Syria.
However, even though the era of Ali's caliphate was marred by civil strife,
he nevertheless introduced a number of reforms, particularly in the levying
and collecting of revenues.
It was the fortieth year of Hijra. A fanatical group called Kharijites,
consisting of people who had broken away from Ali due to his compromise
with Muawiya, claimed that neither Ali, the Caliph, nor Muawiya, the ruler
of Syria, nor Amr bin al-Aas, the ruler of Egypt, were worthy of rule. In
fact, they went so far as to say that the true caliphate came to an end
with 'Umar and that Muslims should live without any ruler over them except
God. They vowed to kill all three rulers, and assassins were dispatched in
three directions.
The assassins who were deputed to kill Muawiya and Amr did not succeed and
were captured and executed, but Ibn-e-Muljim, the assassin who was
commissioned to kill Ali, accomplished his task. One morning when Ali was
absorbed in prayer in a mosque, Ibn-e-Muljim stabbed him with a poisoned
sword. On the 20th of Ramadan, 40 A.H., died the last of the Rightly Guided
Caliphs of Islam. May God Most High be pleased with them and grant to them
His eternal reward.
With the death of Ali, the first and most notable phase in the history of
Muslim peoples came to an end. All through this period it had been the Book
of God and the practices of His Messenger - that is, thc Qur'an and the
Sunnah - which had guided the leaders and the led, set the standards of their
moral conduct and inspired their actions. It was the time when the ruler
and the ruled, the rich and the poor, the powerful and the weak, were
uniformly subject to the Divine Law. It was an epoch of freedom and
equality, of God-consciousness and humility, of social justice which
recognized no privileges, and of an impartial law which accepted no
pressure groups or vested interests.
After Ali, Muawiya assumed the caliphate and thereafter the caliphate
became hereditary, passing from one king to another.
The Rightly Guided Caliphs
The First Caliph Abu Bakr
The Second Caliph Umar
The Third Caliph Uthman
The Forth Caliph Ali
Reprinted with permission from the National Muslim Student Association of
the USA and Canada.
