Ali

For other uses, see Ali (disambiguation).

‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (علي بن أﺑﻲ طالب)‎ (599 – 661) was an early Islamic leader. He is seen by Sunni Muslims as the last of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs. Shi'a Muslims consider him the First Imam appointed by the Prophet Muhammad and the first rightful caliph. Ali was the cousin of Muhammad, and after marriage to Fatima Zahra, he also became Muhammad's son-in-law.

Birth

Main article: Birthplace of Ali ibn Abi Talib

Ali was born on 13 Rajab in Makkah, in the Hijaz region of central western Arabia. According to well-known traditional accounts Ali was born ten years before the commencement of the prophetic mission of the Muhammad, sometime around 599 CE or 600 CE (approximately).

There are many traditions about the birth of Ali. Some claim that when Ali's mother was pregnant with him, she had astonishing dreams and experienced abdominal pains when worshipping idols.[12] Fatima bint Asad entered Kaaba to pray the God. She felt weighed down by intense pain when Ali was due to be born. "[People witnessed] the wall of Kaabah broke apart and Fatima bint-e-Asad entered into the Kaabah. Then the wall again united." The keys of the shrine were brought to unlock the door but all efforts ended in failure. On the third day of this happening Fatima emerged radiant from the sacred premises, cheerfully holding her new-born baby in her arms. She was greeted by Muhammad, who took the child from her arms and kissed him. The infant Ali had not taken any milk, so his first taste of liquid was the saliva upon Muhammad's lips. Other accounts claim that he was able to recite from the Torah upon being born. There is no mention of any such event in the earliest Islamic histories.

As early as the ninth century, a Muslim historian related a similar experience to the birth of Muhammad: "As soon as he came out of his mother's womb, he said 'God is great'. At one month he crawled, at two months he stood, at three months he walked, at four months he ran, and at nine months he shot arrows." In the fields of comparative mythology and comparative religion, these are examples of myth-making and history fabrication about the birth of a reverred figure, a practice which is found in many societies and cultures.

Early life

Ali's father, Abu Talib, was a Sheikh of Banu Hashim, an important branch of the powerful tribe of the Quraysh, and an uncle to the young Muhammad. When Muhammad was orphaned and then lost his grandfather, Abu Talib took Muhammad into his house. Later Muhammad set out and married Khadijah, Ali was born 5 years later. When Ali was six years old, as a result of famine in and around Mecca, Muhammad requested to become his guardian. [13]

When Muhammad reported that he had received a divine revelation, Ali, then only about ten years old, believed in him and professed Islam. [14] Ali stood firmly in support of Muhammad during the years of persecution of Muslims in Mecca. In 622 CE, the year of Muhammad's migration to Yathrib, Ali risked his life by sleeping in Muhammad's bed to impersonate him and thwart an assassination plot, so that Muhammad and Abu Bakr could flee in safety. This night is called "Laylat almabit". Some of narrations say the 207th Ayat from Baqarah is about this issue. [15]According to Tabatabaei "Shi'ah and Sunni chains that this verse was revealed about 'Ali concerning his sacrifice on the night of hijrah."

Ali survived the plot, but risked his life again by staying in Mecca to carry out Muhammad's instructions: to restore to their owners all the goods and properties that had been entrusted to Muhammad for safekeeping.

Ali in Medina

The small community of Muslim immigrants in Medina, the Muhajirun, were at first extremely poor. They had no land, no houses, and lived on the charity of the Madinans who had converted to Islam. Ali shared in all the labor and hardships of the community.

For the ten years that Muhammad led the community in Medina, Ali was extremely active in his service, serving in his armies, leading parties of warriors on raids, and carrying messages and orders. With the exception of Tabuk, Ali joined all of battles and expeditions fought for Islam. As Muhammad's son-in-law and one of his lieutenants, Ali was a person of authority and standing in the Muslim community [16].

Ali first distinguished himself as a warrior in 624 CE, at the Battle of Badr. He defeated the Banu Umayyed champion Walid ibn Utba as well as many other Meccan soldiers. "Al Seerah" of Ibn Husham narrated he killed 20 of the pagans and "Al Maghazi" narrated he killed 22 of them. He was publicly praised by Muhammad.

After this, he asked for the hand in marriage of Fatima Zahra, Muhammad's daughter. Fatima and Muhammad consented, and the marriage was solemnized two months after the battle.

Ali was also prominent at the Battle of Uhud, as well as many other battles where he wielded a bifurcated sword known as Zulfiqar. At the beginning Ali killed "Talhah Ibn Abu Talhah" and then his brother "Abu Saad Ibn Abu Talhah" the bearers of the banner of the pagans. Ibn Al-Atheer, Abu Rafi and Tabari report that Ali, alone, destroyed all the standard bearers. , The death of the bearers of the banner heightened the morale of the Muslims and shook the hearts of the pagans and when the army of Islam was defeated and most of the Muslims scaped Ali was one of the few muslims who defended Muhammad. According to Ibn Atheer "The Prophet become the object of the attack of various units of the army of Quraysh from all sides. Ali attacked, in compliance with the Prophet's orders, every unit that made an attack upon him (the Prophet) and dispersed them or killed some of them, and this thing took place a number of times in Uhud" and there was said "La Fata Illa Ali, La Saifa Illa Zulfiqar" (There is no brave man except Ali and there is no sward which renders service except Zulfiqar -which was in the hands of Ali) ."

In the Battle of the Trench he killed "Amr ibn Wodd" -one the most heroes of enemeis - in what was a great calamity to the Meccan army.

On 24th of Dhul-Hijja in the year 631 C.E. (10 A.H.) when the Christians of Najran didn't accept that Jesus is a human and a prophet of God, prophet of Islam invite them to imprecation each other. This invitation is called al-Mubahila in Islam 3:61 Prophet came with his family including Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn

Abdullah Ibne Umar quotes the Holy Prophet to have commented:

"Had there been any soul on the whole earth better than Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Hussain, God would have commanded me to take them along with me to 'Mubahala'. But as they were superior in dignity and respect to all human beings, God confined His Choice on them only for participation in 'Mubahala'". (Tasfeer-e-Baizavi)

then Christians of Najran were awestruck and spellbound and refrained from 'Mubahala'. Finally a peace treaty was signed on the terms that the Christians of Najran would thereby be committed to pay the Holy Prophet an annual tribute.

Gadir Khumm

On 10 March 632 CE (18th of Dhu'l-Hijjah of 10 AH) the caravan of Muhammad arriving from his farewell hajj stopped at Ghadir Khumm, along with a group of Muslims returning to Madinah with him. It was an area where people from varying provinces used to greet each other before taking different routes home. On giving a speech to the Muslims there, Muhammad said:

"O people, I am a human being. I am about to receive a messenger (the angel of death) from my Lord and I, in response to Allah's call, (would bid good-bye to you), but I am leaving among you two weighty things: the one being the Book of Allah in which there is right guidance and light, so hold fast to the Book of Allah and adhere to it. He exhorted (us) (to hold fast) to the Book of Allah and then said: The second are the members of my household I remind you (of your duties) to the members of my family. ."

Although its authenticity is disputed, some of Sunni and all of Shi'a recources report that Muhammad then proclaimed:

"For whoever I am a Mawla of, then 'Ali is his Mawla."

This statement is seen by Sunnis as a recommendation of Ali's good qualities and a refutation to prevailing rumours about him, although Shia see it as a confirmation of Ali's succession to Muhammad and Imamah

The death of Muhammad

In 632 Muhammad had been ailing for some time, but seemed to have recovered somewhat. He left his house to take part in prayers at the mosque, then returned to his quarters and died.

While Ali and the rest of Muhammad's close family were washing the prophet's body for burial, at a gathering attended by a small group of Muslims at Saqifah, the sucession was given to Abu Bakr by vote. According to Sunni accounts, Muhammad died without having appointed a successor, and with a need for leadership, they gathered and voted for the position of caliph. Shi'a accounts differ by asserting that Muhammad had designated Ali as his successor on a number of occasions, including on his death bed.Ali had many friends, followers and supporters who believed that he should have succeeded Muhammad. This did not create an immediate division, however, because Ali did not fight against the elected caliphs.

The succession to Muhammad is an extremely contentious issue. Muslims ultimately divided into two branches based on their political attitude towards this issue, which forms the primary theological barrier between the two major divisions of Muslims: Sunni and Shi'a, with the latter following Ali as the successor to Muhammad. The two groups also disagree on Ali's attitude towards Abu Bakr, and the two caliphs who succeeded him: Umar ibn al-Khattab and Uthman ibn Affan. Sunnis tend to stress Ali's acceptance and support of their rule, while the Shi'a claim that he distanced himself from them. They argue that he did not do so because he was angry at having been denied worldly power and pleasure; rather, he felt that he had a duty to keep the Muslim community on the strict path of Islam, and that he was being kept from fulfilling the religious duty that Muhammad had appointed to him. The Sunni Muslims say that if Ali was the rightful successor as ordained by God Himself, then it would have been his duty as the leader of the Muslim nation to make war with these people (Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman) until Ali established the decree. But Ali did not fight Abu Bakr, 'Umar nor Uthman because firstly he did not have the military strength and if he decided to, it would have caused a civil war amongst the Muslims, which was still a nascent community throughout the Arab world.

Also Ali has written to egiptians during his caliphate

"When the Holy Prophet (s) passed away, the Muslims started a tug-of-war for the caliphate. I swear by Allah that at that juncture it could not even be imagined that the Arabs would snatch the seat of the caliphate from the family and descendants of the Holy Prophet (s) and that they would be swearing the oath of allegiance for the caliphate to a different person. At every stage I kept myself aloof from that struggle of supremacy and power-politics till I found the heretics had openly taken to heresy and schism and were trying to undermine and ruin the religion preached by our Holy Prophet (s). I felt afraid that, even after seeing and recognizing the evil, if I did not stand up to help Islam and the Muslims it would be a worse calamity to me than my losing authority and power over you, which was only a transient and short-lived affair. Therefore, when I stood up amidst the sweeping surge of innovations and schism the dark clouds of heresy dispersed, falsehood and schism were crushed and the religion was saved.Nahj al Balagha, Lettr 62"

Inheritance

Shi'a Muslims believe that Ali and Fatima, as well as the wives of Muhammad had an additional cause for disaffection with Abu Bakr . The new caliph argued that Muhammad's considerable landed property had been held by the prophet in trust for the community, and was rightfully the property of the state -- despite Ali's rejoinder that Muhammad's revelations included accounts of prophetic inheritance (Qur'an 27:16, 21:89). According to Shi'a Muslims, Abu Bakr gave state pensions to Muhammad's widows, but Muhammad's blood relatives, Ali, Fatima and Ibn Abbas, did not receive even that much.

After Fatima's death, Ali again claimed her inheritance, but was denied with the same argument. However, Umar, the caliph who succeeded Abu Bakr, did restore the estates in Medina to al-Abbas and Ali, as representatives of Muhammad's clan, the Banu Hashim. The properties in Khaybar and Fadak were retained as state property (Madelung 1997 p. 62). Shi'a sources regard this as another instance of the persecution of Muhammad's lineage, the Ahl al-Bayt, at the hands of the caliphs they regard as usurpers.

Succession to the caliphate

In 656 CE, the third caliph Uthman, was murdered in his own house in Medina by assassins. Uthman's plea to Muawiyah for rescue had not been answered. Medina, now a large city and the capital of an empire stretching from Africa to Central Asia, fell into chaos. In the crisis, some Muslims turned to Ali, who had been for years a faithful and steady lieutenant of Muhammad and his successors, and urged him to seek the caliphate. He is said to have been horrified by the assassination of Uthman, and did not wish to appear to be profiting from the situation. [17]

Some opponents at the time claimed that he had connived at the murder of Uthman, or at the very least had been negligent in seeking the murderers. The accusation, according to Shi'a sources, mainly came from those who fell out of favour and those who were denied the generous powerful positions granted to them under the rule of Uthman. [18] Accusations also came from Muawiyah's supporters. Muawiyah on the pretext of seeking justice for the murder of Uthman refused to pledge allegiance to Ali and then started a campaign to seize power for himself.

Besides his extremely high status in Shi'a Islam, Ali is also revered by Sunnis as the last of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, although many Sunnis have high regard for both Hasan and Mu‘awiyah also. [19]

For a fuller discussion of this and succeeding events, see First Islamic civil war.

Caliphate

Zulfiqar, the sword of Ali. The Arabic inscription above it reads: "Ali is the friend of God". Some Shi'a add this statement to the Muslim confession of faith, the shahada.

Almost the first act of his caliphate was to put down a rebellion led by Talha and az-Zubayr (two eminent companions of Muhammad), who were urged on by Aisha, one of Muhammad's wifes. In the view of Shi'as, she was a bitter enemy of Ali, and one of the chief hindrances to his advancement to the caliphate. Her rebel army was defeated at the Battle of Basra (also known as the Battle of the Camel); Talha was killed, Zubayr left before the battle following a discussion with Ali and a reminder of their shared past. However he was killed soon after he left the forces of Talha. Aisha was defeated and was captured. Remarkably, instead of any thought of revenge or punishment Ali ensured that she was escorted with all respect to Medina, where she was given a pension. [20]

Soon thereafter, Ali dismissed several provincial governors, some of whom were relatives of Uthman, and replaced them with trusted aides such as Malik ibn Ashter and Salman the Persian. Ali then transferred his capital from Medina to Kufa, the Muslim garrison city in what is now Iraq. The capital of the province of Syria, Damascus, was held by Mu'awiyah, the governor of Syria and a kinsman of Uthman, Ali's slain predecessor. [21]

Mu'awiyah raised an army and marched against Ali, demanding vengeance for the death of Uthman. A prolonged battle took place in July 657 CE in the Battle of Siffin, near the Euphrates; the battle seemed to be turning in favor of Ali, when a number of the opposing army, fixing copies of the Qur'an to the points of their spears, exclaimed that "the matter ought to be settled by reference to this book, which forbids Muslims to shed each other's blood." [22]

At this point, the soldiers of Ali refused to fight any longer, and demanded that the issue be referred to arbitration. Ali and his followers are said to have disagreed over the choice of advocate for Ali. Ali wanted Malik ibn Ashter or Ibn Abbas; his followers are said to have objected. Finally, Abu Musa al Asha'ri was chosen as Ali's advocate. Amr ibn al-As, a veteran diplomat, was chosen to act for Mu'awiyah. It is claimed that `Amr persuaded Abu Musa that it would be to the advantage of Islam that neither candidate should reign, and asked him to give his decision first. Abu Musa having proclaimed that he deposed both Ali and Mu'awiyah, `Amr declared that he also deposed Ali, but invested Mu'awiyah with the caliphate. This decision greatly injured the cause of Ali, which was still further weakened by the loss of Egypt to Mu'awiya's forces. [23]

Death

File:Mehraab Where Imam Ali was Struck.jpg

Shi'a beleive this is the place where Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib was martyred

According to tradition, three Muslim zealots (purists later termed Kharijites) had agreed to assassinate Ali, Mu'awiyah and `Amr, as the authors of disastrous feuds among the faithful. The assassins sent against Mu'awiyah and `Amr failed as on the day Muawiyah happened to be wearing his armour underneath his clothes and Amr did not attend the mosque as he was ill; the only assassin who succeeded was the one who attacked Ali. This event has always been shadowed by speculation of a plot masterminded by Muawiyah. The fortuitous concidence that saved Muawiayah and Amr, both bitter enemies of Ali, is considered to have the mark of Muawiyah's shrewd planning. [24]

Ali suffered a mortal head wound on the 19th of Ramadan while he was performing morning prayers in mosque in the city of Kufa. Some say that the sword that wounded him was poisoned. According to the Shi'a tradition, as he was being struck Ali said "By the Lord of the Ka'bah, I have succeeded!" [25]

Ali died on the 21st of Ramadan (three days after receiving the head wound) in the city of Kufa (Iraq) in 661 CE.

Grave of Ali

Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, Iraq - Ali ibn Abi Talib is buried here

Many Shi'a believe that Ali didn’t want his grave to be desecrated by his enemies and because of that he asked his friends and family members to bury him secretly.. This secret gravesite is supposed to have been revealed in later times. Most Shi'as accept that Ali was buried at what is now the city of Najaf, which grew around the mosque and shrine called Masjid Ali.

• One story recounts that the caliph Harun al-Rashid (ruled from 786 to 809) went hunting and came upon a bit of raised ground which his dogs refused to approach. Local inhabitants told him that this was the grave of Ali ibn Abi Talib. The caliph ordered the building of a mausoleum, which was the nucleus of the city and the shrine.

• Another story claims that the location of the gravesite was passed from father to son along the line of Shi'a Imams, and that Ja'far al-Sadiq, the sixth Shi'a Imam, told the caliph where to find the grave.

• While an additional story, usually maintained by Afghans, notes that his body was taken and buried in the Afghan city of Mazari Sharif at the famous Blue Mosque or Rawze-e-Sharif. [26]

Descendants

Main article: Descendants of Ali ibn Abi Talib

Ali had eight wives after Fatima's death, [27] and in all, thirty-six children. Two of his most famous sons, born to the daughter of the Prohpet Muhammad, Fatima, were Hasan and Husayn. Hasan is said to have refrained from publicly claiming the caliphate, so as to prevent further bloodshed among Muslims. Muawiyah thus became caliph and established the Umayyad dynasty of caliphs. Hasan is, however, revered by most Shi'a as the second imam; his brother Husayn is reckoned as the third, except by the Ismaili, who consider him the second imam.

Ali's descendants by Fatima are known as sharifs, syeds or sayyids. These are honorific titles in Arabic, sharif meaning 'noble' and sayed/sayid meaning 'lord' or 'sir'. As Islamic Prophet Muhammad's only descendants, they are respected by both Sunni and Shi'a, though the Shi'as place much more emphasis and value on the distinction.

Many Muslim notables claim to be descendents of Muhammad. The Hashemite royal families of Jordan and Iraq, the Alaouite royal family of Morocco, the Husseini family of Lebanon, and the Aga Khans of the Ismaili community claim direct descent from the prophet through Ali and Fatima. Such claims, however, are disputed by other syeds, notably those who are Shi'a and belong to countries such as Iraq, Iran, or Lebanon, or who actually possess documented family trees. There are also many humbler syeds whose only distinction may be the title in front of their name, or the right to wear a black or green turban (a sign of Alid descent in some communities).

Descendents of Ali with documented family trees (about 42 generations of an unbroken chain of descent) are often identified by their family trees leading to one of the 12 Shi'a Imams, most notably Imam Musa Kazem, Imam Ali Reza, and Imam Ali Naqi. Most syeds tend to cross-reference their own particular family trees with those of others in order to maintain accuracy and to weed out imposters.

Legacy

See also: Nahj al Balagha

Ali is respected not only as a warrior and leader, but as a writer and religious authority. The most famous collection of speeches and letters attributed to Ali is the Peak of Eloquence (Arabic: Nahj al-Balagha). However, many Islamic scholars vigorously dispute the authenticity of this collection and dismiss it is polemic distanced several generations from Ali.

There are other collections of his quotations.

• Ghorarolhakam:The collections which is valid among Shia

A few famous quotations from it include:

• Inability is a disaster; patience is bravery; abstinence is a treasure, self-restraint is a shield; and the best companion is submission to Divine Will.
• Socialize with people in such a manner that when you die, they should weep for you and as long as you live, they should long for your company.
• Greed is a permanent slavery.
• Submission to God's will is the cure of the misery of the heart.
• There is no wealth like education and no poverty like ignorance.

Ali is also reputed to have said:

• He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, while he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere.

Muslim view

Ali is revered and honored by all Muslims. Having been one of the first Muslims, he was extremely knowledgeable in matters of religious belief and practice, as well as in the history of the Muslim community. He was known for his eloquence and heroism.

Just as Muslims do not picture God (in Arabic, Allah), but reference him by His Ninety-nine Names or titles, so Muslims honor Muhammad, Ali, and other pious Muslims with titles of praise and add pious interjections after their names.

Moreover, Sunni and Shi'a alike agree that Ali deserves these titles:

• Commander of the Faithfuls (Arabic: Ameer-al-Momineen)
• Father of Dust/Soil (Arabic: Abu Turab)
• Winning Lion of God (Arabic: Asad-ullah)
• The Charging Lion (Arabic: Haydar-al-Karrar)
• Piercing lines, fighter (Arabic: Safdar)

(Please note that translation from Arabic to English may change the way the words are interpreted)

Sunni view of Ali

Sunnis hold Ali in high respect as one of the Ahl al-Bayt and the last of the Four Righteously Guided Caliphs. He was one of the first to accept Islam, he was Muhammad's cousin, and he was honored with the hand of Muhammad's daughter Fatimah. Sunnis, however, believe that he shared this honor with `Uthman, who married two of Muhammad's daughters. Other records say however that these other daughters were not bioligical but step daughters- the daughters of one of his wives.

The statement "I am the city of Knowledge, and Ali is the gate to the city" allegedly said by Muhammad (although this is disputed, see Hadith of the door to knowledge) is interpreted by Sunnis to mean that Ali was among the protectors of Islamic knowledge whereas Shi`ites believe it to mean one must trust in Ali to get to, or stay on the path of, Muhammad's sunnah.

Sunnis believe that Shi`ites distort history when they argue that he didn't support the first three caliphs being elected. Sunnis say that Ali supported the first three caliphs loyally.

Shi'a view of Ali

See also: Shi'a Islam and Misconceptions about the Shi'a

The Shi`ites hold Ali in high esteem and consider him as the rightful protector of the Muslim community after the passing of Muhammad. He is seen not only as Muhammad's chosen successor, but also as holding a position of authority designated by God and as deserving his position by his great personal merits.

The Shi`ites make several points regarding Ali, believed to indicate Ali's special status, including claims:

• That he was born in the Kaaba. This subject is highly controversial (see Birthplace of Ali).

• Ali's mother Fatima bint Asad named him after her father, Asad. Abu Talib did not agree with her and prayed for Allah to reveal Ali's real name, Ali, derived from one of 99 Names of God, Al `Ali (The Exalted) .

• Hadith of the dinner invitation:According to Tarikh Abul Fida , Muhammad arranged a dinner for the entire Banu Hashim, where he openly declared his prophethood and call to Tawheed. After having said that the first one to join him would lead with him and be his successor, and three invitations, Ali was the only one ready to embrace Islam. Then the Prophet put his arms

around him and said, "He is my brother, inheritor and vicegerent. You must obey him." Then another dinner guest joked with Abu Talib saying that he was now under the command of his son.

• Hadith-i manzilah : Sa`ad ibn Abi Waqqas has said "The Prophet of God said to Ali, 'Are you not satisfied to be to me what Harun was to Moses except that after me there will not be another prophet?'" Shi'a said it means Ali is the vicegerent of Muhammad like Harun for Moses.

They also claim that Muhammad indicated in many times and in many ways his belief that Ali was his divinely appointed successor, and cite a number of hadith and verses from the Qur'an in support of that position. For example, it is a well-known Hadith of Muhammad that, as he said, "I am the CITY OF KNOWLEDGE and Ali is the ENTRANCE TO THIS CITY". [28] See Succession to Muhammad for further discussion.

In the Shi'a view, Ali's character, like Muhammad's, is considered perfect and unblemished and he is seen by the Shi'a as being infallible as are a number of his descendants, namely the twelve imams. They mark the anniversary of his death . In the Shi'a confession of faith (shahada, before prayer they add the phrase "Ali waliyu 'llah" meaning "And Ali is the friend of God". The Shi'a give these titles to Ali:

• Al-Ŝādiq (The Truthful)
• Imam (commander/leader)
• Imam Al-Muttaqin (Leader of those established in the faith)
• Al-Murtadhā (Murtazā in Persian) (The chosen one)
• Al-Naba' ul 'Adhīm
• Haydar
• Safder
• Al-Almdār (The standard bearer)
• Mushkil-Kushā (The solver of problems)
• Al-Furuq

Ali is given an additional pious modifier. When Ali's name is mentioned, along with "May Allah be pleased with him", Shi'a add "Allah has honoured his face", a reference to the Shi'a belief that Ali converted to Islam at such a young age that he never joined in any worship of the traditional Meccan gods, whom the Muslims believe to be idols. His face, they say, was never defiled by prostrations before idols.

The non-Muslim view of Ali

Non-Muslim views of Ali have varied. Some, like the 19th century historian Carlyle, found him an attractive, romantic figure. Some later scholars, such as Lammens and Watt, dismissed Ali as pious but a poor leader. Wilferd Madelung, a specialist in Shi'a studies, takes a much more favorable view of Ali. Most contemporary historians of early Islam, however, are not interested in judging Ali's character. Contemporary historical approaches stress economic, cultural, and ecological issues, not the role of "great men" in forming history.Some of the Lebanese Christians like Georgy Zeidan and George Gordagh have praised him. See Non-Muslim view of Ali for further discussions.

Selected Sayings

• Value of each man depends upon the art and skill which he has attained.
• He who is deserted by friends and relatives will often find help and sympathy from strangers.
• Our affairs are attached to the destiny decreed by Allah, even our best plans may lead us to destruction.
• If someone's deeds lower his position, his pedigree cannot elevate it.
• A virtuous person is better then virtue and a vicious person is worse than vice.
• One who says unpleasant things about others, will himself quickly become a target of their scandal.
• A wise man first thinks and then speaks and a fool speaks first and then thinks.
• The sin which makes you sad and repentant is more liked by Allah than the good deed which turns you arrogant.
• Value of a man depends upon his courage; his veracity depends upon his self-respect and his chastity depends upon his sense of honor.
• Do not feel ashamed if the amount of charity is small because to refuse the needy is an act of greater shame.

See also

• Sulaym ibn Qays
• Family tree of Ali
• Imam Ali Mosque
• Hasan ibn Ali
• Husayn ibn Ali
• Abbas ibn Ali
• Imam Ali International Airport
• Shiites
• Ismailis
• Fatimids
• Hashemites
• Alawite
• Alevi
• Wali
• Succession to Muhammad
• Non-Muslim view of Ali
• Misconceptions about the Shi'a
• Ahl Al-Bayt
• Nahj al Balagha
• Zulfiqar

References

There are no English-language biographies specifically of Ali. Material for his biography must be extracted from the pages of general histories, or from biographies of Muhammad.

• George Gordagh, Ali, The Voice of Human Justice , first Arabic edition 1956 ISBN 0-941724-24-7
• Karen Armstrong -- Muhammad, Gollancz, 1991 (a popular biography)
• Alfred Guillaume -- The Life of Muhammad, Oxford University Press, 1955 (a reconstruction and translation of Ibn Ishaq).
• Ibn Sa'd -- The book of The Major Classes -- scattered volumes of English translation as issued by Kitab Bhavan, New Delhi (no date), and Ta-Ha Publishers, London, 1997 and 2000.
• Wilferd Madelung -- The Succession to Muhammad, Cambridge University Press, 1997.
• Tabari -- History of the Prophets and Kings, translation and commentary issued in multiple volumes by SUNY Press from 1987 to 1996; volumes 6-17 are relevant.
• William Montgomery Watt -- Muhammad at Mecca, 1953 and Muhammad at Medina, Oxford University Press, 1956

External links

Sunni biography

• Biography from USC's MSA website

Shi'a biography

• Brief Biogrophy
• Ali's Birth in the Kaaba
• Website devoted to the Life of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib
• Sayings of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib
• Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib
• Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib The Commander of the Faithfull
• Imam Ali foundation
• Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Nahjul Balagha
• Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib's status