Search results
In this way, Imam Ali (‘a) also received knowledge of the future through the instructions of the Holy Prophet (S) or inspiration from Allah, for which these words of Imam Ali (‘a) stand evidence. Of course, sometimes, it is not proper or expedient to disclose certain matters and they are allowed to remain under a veil.
- Preface
The painstaking striving of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S)...
- Bibliography
The Holy Qur’an. Arabi al-, Ahmad ibn Muhammad. Mujam Ibn...
- Preface
Forging Lies Against The Holy Prophet. Imam Ali (‘a) has reported the Holy Prophet (S) as saying, Do not forge lies against me, for whoever forges a lie against me will definitely be in Hellfire.58. Twelve Imams. Imam Ali (‘a) has reported the Holy Prophet (S) as saying, After me, the Imams are twelve in number.
The Battle Of The Camel. Historicists and narrators of the Prophetic traditions have unanimously agreed that the Holy Prophet (S) foretold Imam Ali (‘a)-his successor and the door to his city of knowledge-that he would fight against the breakers of their pledges (nakithun), the wrongdoers (qasitun), and the apostates (mariqun). 1.
Assessment of Ali by Eminent Muslims. 94. Assessment of Ali by Western Scholars. When Ali appointed a person to a high office, with the letter of appointment he also issued a memorandum of instructions setting out the guidelines to be followed for the purposes of administration.
- Overview
- Names and sources
- Early years
- From Mecca to Medina
ʿAlī, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, was the fourth caliph and first imam (in Shiʿism) of the Muslim ummah (community). A faction of the ummah asserted that he and his descendants (known as Ahl al-Bayt) were the only rightful successors to Muhammad. This faction is known as the Shiʿah, short for shīʿat ʿAlī (”ʿAlī’s faction”).
What was ʿAlī’s early life like?
ʿAlī was the son of Abū Ṭālib, Muhammad’s uncle and adopted guardian. After Abū Ṭālib became impoverished, young ʿAlī was taken in by Muhammad. At age 10, ʿAlī became the second person to accept Islam, after Khadījah, according to tradition. From then, he was a dedicated servant of the early Muslim ummah (community).
How did ʿAlī die?
After ʿAlī became caliph, some of his erstwhile supporters resented his willingness to negotiate his status with Muʿāwiyah and his forces, believing such concession to be a repudiation of his duty to fight against rebels. ʿAlī was struck in the head with a poisoned sword by a member of this movement (known as the Khārijites).
What was ʿAlī’s legacy?
ʿAlī is known within the Islamic tradition by a number of titles, some reflecting his personal qualities and others derived from particular episodes of his life. They include Abū al-Ḥasan (“Father of Ḥasan” [the name of his eldest son]), Abū Turāb (“Father of Dust”), Murtaḍā (“One Who Is Chosen and Contented”), Asad Allāh (“Lion of God”), Ḥaydar (“Lion”), and—specifically among the Shiʿah—Amīr al-Muʾminīn (“Prince of the Faithful”) and Mawlāy-i Muttaqiyān (“Master of the God-Fearing”). The title Abū Turāb, for example, recalls the time when, according to tradition, Muhammad entered a mosque and, seeing ʿAlī sleeping there full of dust, said to him, “O father of dust, get up.”
Except for Muhammad, there is no one in Islamic history about whom as much has been written in Islamic languages as ʿAlī. The primary sources for scholarship on the life of ʿAlī are the Hadith and the sīrah literature (accounts of the Prophet Muhammad’s life), as well as other biographical sources and texts of early Islamic history. The extensive secondary sources include, in addition to works by Sunni and Shiʿi Muslims, writings by Christian Arabs, Hindus, and other non-Muslims from the Middle East and Asia and a few works by modern Western scholars. However, many of the early Islamic sources are coloured to some extent by a bias, whether positive or negative, toward ʿAlī.
ʿAlī’s life, as recorded especially in the Sunni and Shiʿi texts, can be divided into several distinct periods separated by major events. The son of Abū Ṭālib and his wife Fāṭimah bint Asad, ʿAlī was born, according to most older historical sources, on the 13th day of the lunar month of Rajab, about the year 600, in Mecca. Many sources, especially ...
The second period of ʿAlī’s life, lasting slightly more than a decade, begins in 610, when Muhammad received the first of his revelations, and ends with the migration of the Prophet to Medina in 622. During this period ʿAlī was Muhammad’s constant companion. Along with Zayd ibn Ḥāritha, who was like a son to the Prophet, Abū Bakr, a respected member of the ruling Quraysh tribe of Mecca, and Khadījah, he helped to form the nucleus of the earliest Meccan Islamic community. From 610 to 622 ʿAlī spent much of his time providing for the needs of believers in Mecca, especially the poor, by distributing what he had among them and helping them with their daily chores.
Both Sunni and Shiʿi sources confirm the occurrence in 622 of the most important episode of this period. Muhammad, knowing that his enemies were plotting to assassinate him, asked ʿAlī to take his place and sleep in his bed; Muhammad then left Mecca secretly with Abū Bakr and reached Medina safely several days later (his arrival marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar). When the plotters entered Muhammad’s house with drawn daggers, they were deeply surprised to find ʿAlī, whom they did not harm. ʿAlī waited for instructions and left sometime later with Muhammad’s family. He arrived safely in Qubā on the outskirts of Yathrib, which soon became known as Mādinat al-Nabi (“City of the Prophet”) or simply Medina, on the instructions of the Prophet. According to some sources, he was one of the first of the Meccan followers of Muhammad to arrive in Medina.
Exclusive academic rate for students! Save 67% on Britannica Premium.
Learn More
Raised by the Prophet. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had a special love for the young Ali. A couple of years after Imam Ali’s birth, Mecca underwent a severe drought. The Prophet brought Imam Ali to his home to help with the hardships of Imam Ali’s father, Abu Talib. So, when Imam Ali was about 6 years old, the Prophet took him under his own care.
People also ask
What did the Prophet say to Imam Ali?
How did Imam Ali ('a) receive knowledge of the future?
Why is Imam Ali a holy person?
What did Imam Ali (s) say about oppression?
What did Imam Ali say in Dhi-Qar?
Why did Imam Ali say a doxological prayer?
May 25, 2020 · Ali ibn Abi Talib, or simply Ali, (l. 601-661 CE) was among the first Muslims, a cousin and son-in- law of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (l. 570-632 CE), and later reigned as the fourth Caliph of Islam from 656 CE to 661 CE, when he was murdered. Much of his tenure was spent bringing the empire to order during the first civil war of the Islamic ...
