Imam Ali (a.s), son of Abu Talib (the uncle of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w)) was born in 600 A.D in Makkah, Arabia.
He is the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), having married his only daughter, Lady Fatimah (a.s).
He is the first Muslim male to have accepted Islam and has the distinction of being Prophet Muhammad’s (s.a.w) successor when he was appointed as the first Imam for the Muslim community at Ghadir Khumm in 632 A.D.
Imam Ali (a.s), son of Abu Talib (the uncle of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w)), was born in 600 A.D in Makkah, Arabia.
He is the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), having married his daughter and only surviving child, Lady Fatimah (a.s). He is the first Muslim to have accepted Islam and has the distinction of being Prophet Muhammad’s (s.a.w) successor when he was appointed as the first Imam for the Muslim community at Ghadir Khumm in 632 A.D.
Imam Ali’s (a.s) adult life was characterised by aiding Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) however after the death of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), Imam Ali (a.s) chose not to pursue his right as the successor of the Prophet in order to prevent civil war with the self-appointed government as he was more concerned with preserving the prophetic message.
Imam Ali (a.s) constantly fought for justice but was eventually murdered in the Mosque of Kufa by Abd al-Rahman, son of Muljim. He died in 661 A.D.
Today, Imam Ali's (a.s) legacy is still under-appreciated.
He was an orator, interpreter of the Qur’an and leader. All of these qualities are illustrated by his many sermons and sayings, compiled by Sharif al-Radhi in Nahj al-Balagha (The Peak of Eloquence).
Imam Ali (a.s), son of Abu Talib (the uncle of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w)), was born in 600 A.D in Makkah, Arabia.
He is the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), having married his daughter and only surviving child, Lady Fatimah (a.s). Imam Ali (a.s) has a special status amongst all Muslims in that he was the only person to be born inside God’s holy house 'the Kaaba.'
He is the first person to have accepted Islam, at the age of 10. Imam Ali (a.s) also has the distinction of being Prophet Muhammad's (s.a.w) successor when he was appointed as the next leader for the Muslim community at Ghadir Khumm in 632 A.D.
He eventually became the Muslim nations fourth Caliph.
To this day, Imam Ali’s (a.s) merits as a spiritually impeccable human being, scholar, leader, warrior and reformer endure due to his unwavering loyalty to Islam.
Imam Ali was murdered in 661 A.D.
During his 61 years, Imam Ali (a.s) demonstrated an unflinching faith in Allah (s.w.t), having never prostrated to idols or followed any Pagan religion. When he was young, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) often used to look after him, teach him and share the secrets of God’s revelation with him. Although they were first paternal cousins they proved to be close friends and companions due to their shared sincerity to Allah and service to Islam. Imam Ali (a.s) was always by the Prophet’s side during times of revelation, preaching, battle, charity and teaching. Imam Ali (a.s) was often the first volunteer to help the Prophet in all these matters and that is why the Prophet said that Ali's position to him was akin to that of Aaron's to Moses.
Marriage to Lady Fatimah (a.s)
When Imam Ali (a.s) became a mature young man, he proposed to the Prophet’s beloved daughter, Lady Fatimah (a.s). She was a young lady of the highest virtuosity who was sought in marriage by several companions of the Prophet. However, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was commanded by God to marry Lady Fatimah (a.s) to Imam Ali (a.s) and so in 623, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) recited the marital rites for Imam Ali (a.s) and Lady Fatimah (a.s).
Just like Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) and Khadijah’s marriage, Imam Ali (a.s) and Lady Fatimah's (a.s) marriage proved to be a virtuous and an exemplary union of two saintly figures who gave birth to two noble sons, Hasan and Husayn and two saintly daughters Zainab and Umm Kulthum.
Adult Life
Imam Ali's (a.s) adult life was characterised by aiding Islam and Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w). However after the death of the Prophet, Imam Ali (a.s) chose not to pursue his right as the successor of the Prophet in order to prevent civil war with the self-appointed government as he was more concerned with preserving the Prophetic message.
He became the fourth Caliph of Muslims, after the tenures of Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman.
By the time Imam Ali became Caliph in 36AH there was great turmoil in the Muslim communities throughout Arabia and the surrounding regions because the previous ruling governments had suffered from nepotism and financial corruption.
Imam Ali (a.s) was constantly opposed by prominent figures throughout his caliphate for his attempts to rule in line with the Prophetic traditions and was eventually murdered in the Mosque of Kufa by Abd al-Rahman, son of Muljim. Imam Ali's (a.s) death was tragic as he was struck in the head by a poisoned sword whilst prostrating to Allah in prayers. He died on the night of 21 Ramadhan in 661 A.D and was buried in Najaf, Iraq.
Imam Ali’s Legacy
Today, Imam Ali's (a.s) legacy is still under-appreciated, perhaps because he reverted to Prophetic rulings rather than following the political demands of that time. He was an orator, interpreter of the Qur’an and leader, and all of these qualities are evidenced by his many sermons and sayings, compiled by Sharif al-Radhi in Nahj al-Balagha (The Peak of Eloquence).