Hazrat Ali

ALI

SIGNIFICANCE DURING THE PROPHET’S LIFETIME:

Ali was the first cousin of the Holy Prophet and so belonged to the Banu Hashim. His father was Abu Talib bin Abdul Muttalib, who had brought up Mohammad in his childhood. Ali was about ten years old when the Prophet received the first revelation.

Ali got the special opportunity of living in the company of the Prophet and so developed great love for him since his childhood. Ali was brave and literate and was a very intelligent youth of Makkah. He led a pious and noble life, hated idol worshipping, drinking, gambling and bloodshed. He was first among the children to embrace Islam. . One day he saw his cousin and his wife put their foreheads on the ground. Hazrat Ali looked at them amazingly. Never before had he seen anybody saying prayers in this style. When the prayer was over, Hazrat Ali asked his cousin about this strange act. He explained: "We were worshipping Allah, the One," the Holy Prophet said, "I advise you to do the same and never bend your head before Lat, Uzza or any other idol." Next morning Hazrat Ali accepted Islam.

 When the Holy Prophet asked the Hashimites to help him in his mission, Hazrat Ali was the only person to respond to his call. After that Ali started supporting the Holy Prophet bravely and the Prophet declared him as ‘’my brother and my lieutenant’’.

The Prophet gave his youngest daughter Fatima in marriage to Ali and Hassan and Hussain were born from this marriage. Ali demonstrated utmost courage and boldness by sleeping in the bed of The Prophet on the night before migration to Medina. At that time he had entrusted to Ali the task of returning the belongings of the people that had been placed in the Prophet’s custody for safe keeping.

In Medina, when the Prophet declared the emigrants and helpers as brothers, the Holy Prophet declared that Ali would be his brother. Hazrat Ali was a brave warrior and showed great courage in all battles. At the time of the Battle of Badr, he was chosen to carry the Muslim banner. During the Battle of Uhad, he was one of the few Muslims who defended the Holy Prophet. After the battle he, along with his wife Fatima washed the Prophet’s wounds. During the Battle of Trench, when some of the pagans were able to cross over the ditch, Ali killed them. He was one of the leaders in the siege of the Jewish tribe of Banu Quraizah. He showed great bravery in the battle of Khyber, using a door as a shield. At Hunain he defended the Holy Prophet and at the time of the conquest of Makkah, he again carried the Muslim banner. For his bravery, the Prophet gave him the title of Asad Allah/Lion of Allah.

Hazrat Ali did not take part in the Tabuk Expedition as he remained in Medina as the Prophet’s deputy. On his complaint that he was not going with the army, the Prophet said to him: ‘’you are to me as Haroon was to Musa, except that there will be no prophet after me.’’ (Agreed Upon)

He was among those who had taken the oath of Rizwan for the sake of Usman’s life and then he drafted the treaty of Hudaibiya and was one of the witnesses as well. He was one of the 10 blessed companions. He was one of the scribes of the Divine Revelation. He also wrote the letters sent out by the Prophet to different kings and emperors. He was present at the time of the death of the Holy Prophet. He washed his dead body and was one of those who lowered the Prophet into the grave.

ELECTION:

·        There was no Caliph of Islam for three days after Hazrat Usman's murder. Medina was completely in the grip of the rioters.

·         Most of the Companions had left Medina during the dark days of the holocaust (a war in which very many ordinary people are killed). The few who remained felt absolutely helpless.

·        After three days, when the rebels decided to return to their homes, they felt it was necessary that the new Caliph should be chosen before they left Medina.

·        In this connection there were differences among the rebels.

·        One group favoured the election of Ali (Egypt); another favoured the election of Talha (Kufa) while the third wanted Zubair (Basra).

·        The Egyptians and some prominent companions requested Hazrat Ali to accept the office of the Caliph but he refused.

·        The rebels then offered the Khilafat to Talha and Zubair but they too refused.

·        They next requested the Ansar to choose a Caliph from amongst themselves, but they declined and said in that in the presence of Ali, no one else deserved to be the Caliph.

·        There was a complete deadlock in the matter of election.

·        They then gave the ultimatum that unless the Caliph was chosen within the next 24 hours, they would be forced to take some drastic action (mass murder).

·        Hazrat Ali had talks with those of the Companions who were still in Medina. They favoured him to forward and serve the people.

·         So Hazrat Ali agreed to take responsibility of guiding the affairs of the Muslims. He consented to become the fourth Caliph of Islam.

·        All came to the Prophet's Mosque to receive the pledge of loyalty. Malik Ushtar was the first to take the pledge. He was followed by other people.

·        Talha and Zubair, the two noted Companions, were in Medina at the time. They were among the six electors nominated by Umar. Hazrat Ali wanted to have their confidence. Both of them took the pledge.

·        Members of the Umayyad family all fled to Syria. They took away with them the blood-stained shirt of the late Caliph and the chopped fingers of his wife, Naila.

·        Hazrat Ali knew well that difficult times lay ahead. The forces of lawlessness had been unleashed. It would require tireless work, great patience and much tact to restore law and order. Ali hoped to accomplish the task with the co-operation of his people.

CHANGE OF GOVERNORS:

·        On becoming the Caliph, Hazrat Ali felt that in the interest of the state, it was necessary that there should be a change in the provincial governors.

·        He therefore decided to remove the governors appointed by Usman and appoint new people to take their place.

·        Many of his friends advised him not to take such a step before establishing himself as the Caliph.

·        With regard to Muaviya, the governor of Syria, they particularly asked him not to interfere because the appointment of Muaviya was not made by Usman but by Umar.

·        Also because he was popular in Syria and the people were happy with him.

·         Against the advice of his friends, Ali decided to replace Muaviya also along with the others.

·        He appointed new governors for Syria, Egypt, Kufa, Basra and Yemen. Then he sent them to take charge of their provinces.

·        The governors appointed in the provinces of Basra, Egypt and Yemen were able to take charge of their provinces without any resistance.

·        But the governor for Kufa had to return to Medina after having failed to assume the charge of his office.

·        Similarly the Governor for Syria was met by a Syrian army who told him to go back as they did not acknowledge Ali as the Caliph. Muaviya was not ready to accept Ali as Caliph. The main crisis started here.

BATTLE OF CAMEL (JAMAL):

·        Banu Ummayads who were in power in Syria raised a cry for revenge for Usman’s blood.

·        Exhibited the blood stained clothes of Usman and the chopped fingers of his wife to instigate the people.

·        Many people in Makkah and Medina also joined them and demanded punishment for the assassins.

·        Ali agreed but argued that he would do so only after re-establishing peace in the country. He realized that the assassination of Usman was not the work of a few individuals who could be easily punished.

·        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.

·        When Talha and Zubair, who were the first to acknowledge Ali as a Caliph, saw that he was taking no positive steps to avenge Usman’s death, they became furious.

·        They approached Hazrat Ayesha, who was herself deeply grieved at Usman’s murder, and prevailed (influenced) upon her to join them in demanding revenge for Usman’s murder.

·        They raised an army of 15,000 men and persuaded Ayesha to accompany them.

·        In the meantime, Ali was preparing a 20,000 army to cope with the situation in Syria whose governor Muaviya had refused to take oath of allegiance. He diverted his attention towards Basra and met Ayesha’s forces in October 656.

·        Ali did not wish to fight Ayesha and sent one of the Prophet’s companions to assure her that the delay in punishing the murderers of Usman was due to non-availability of evidence.

·        Ayesha also wanted to prevent bloodshed and agreed to negotiate. The negotiations began between the two parties and ended in mutual agreement.

·        This was not in favour of the rebels who had gone to such great lengths to cause fighting amongst the Muslims.

·        A band of them masterminded an attack on Ayesha’s army during the night, provoking them to retaliate against Ali’s army.

·        In the fighting that followed, Talha and Zubair were killed. Ayesha’s own camel was finally over powered and its legs were cut, thus giving the name Battle of the Camel to this event.

·        She was treated with respect and honour and was sent to Medina escorted by her brother where she led a retired life and never took part in politics again.

·        10,000 combatants lay dead from both sides in this very first civil war of Islam.

·        As a result of the victory at Basra, Ali’s Khilafat came to be acknowledged by the entire Muslim world except Syria.

·        After this battle, Ali shifted the capital to Kufa.

WHY TALHA AND ZUBAIR OPPOSED HIM:

·        Talha and Zubair opposed Ali for a number of reasons.

·        They had initially taken oath at Ali’s hand and hoped Ali would take quick action against the killers of Usman.

·        Ali, however, having his own plans and strategies, acted differently.

·        He began to dismiss the governors appointed by Usman since he considered them to be the root cause of all troubles.

·        While doing so, the actions against Usman’s killers got delayed and this delay drove a wedge between Ali and the two close companions of the Prophet.

·        They began to oppose Ali’s policies as they wanted urgent steps against the rebels.  

·        Failing to see Ali introducing any reforms to control the crisis, Talha and Zubair joined Ayesha to worsen the conflict.

BATTLE OF SIFFIN:

Causes:

·        After his election, Ali deposed Muaviya from the governorship of Syria. Muaviya refused and under his influence no one in Syria took the oath of allegiance to the new Caliph.

·        Muaviya raised a cry for revenge for the blood of Usman and displayed his blood stained clothes and his wife’s fingers in a mosque in Damascus.

·        He claimed that his election as Caliph was illegal and was carried out under the pressure of the rebels who had killed Usman.

·        He presented Talha and Zubair as martyrs who laid down their lives for the blood of Usman.

·        He criticized Ali for the ill treatment of Hazrat Ayesha.

·        His propaganda spread to Iran and Iraq.

·        Muaviya gained enough strength in a year to challenge the Caliph.

·        Ali wrote him a letter telling him that he had been elected in the same way as the former Caliphs had been elected. Muaviya replied that he was not ready to accept Ali as a Caliph.

Events:

·        Ali managed to collect an army of 80-90 thousand men and Muaviya also collected a large army.

·        Both armies met at Siffin. For several months the rival soldiers remained facing each other. Except occasional skirmishes no decisive battle took place.

·        Ali sent messengers to Muaviya asking him to submit in the interest of the unity of Islam.

·        Muaviya in reply demanded that Usman’s assassins should be punished first. All negotiations for peace broke down and both sides got ready for war.

·        The main battle began on the 8^th of Safar 37 A.H. on the fourth day the position of Muaviya’s army began to worsen.

·        Muaviya, on the advice of Amr bin Aas ordered the soldiers in the front ranks to fasten the Holy Quran on their lances as a sign that the war should end.

·        Many officers in Ali’s army refused to fight, so the war was stopped and it was decided that the matter be referred to an arbitration (mediation/settlement).

·        Ali appointed Abu Musa Ashari and Muaviya appointed Amr bin Aas. They were to settle the dispute in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah and announce their decision by Ramadan. In the meantime all hostilities were to cease.

·        Ali left the battlefield of Siffin for Kufa. The battle of Siffin led to the birth of the first sect among Muslims that came to be known as Kharijites.

WHY MUAVIYA REFUSED TO ACCEPT ALI AS CALIPH:

·        Ali had been elected in unusual circumstances, mainly on the insistence of the rebels against Usman.

·        Ali wanted to restore peace first and then deal with the assassination of Usman, so he issued orders of the governors appointed by Usman.

·        Muaviya’s name was in the list.

·        Ali ordered Muaviya to surrender his position as governor of Syria.

·        Since Muaviya would not accept `Ali as caliph he did not do this.

·        Ali refused to take steps against the killers of Muaviya’s uncle `Usman.

·        Muaviya insisted that `Ali should punish them before he would obey him.

·        Muaviya’s opposition was a combination of personal ambition and desire for justice.

WHY SOME SUPPORTERS OF ALI LEFT HIM AFTER SIFFIN:

·        Talha and Zubayr thought he should punish Usman’s assassins as soon as possible.

·        This was the just action and they thought `Ali was wrong not to do it.

·        Ali’s supporters at Siffin thought he was the leader of the community and those who opposed him were wrong.

·        So they thought he was wrong to arbitrate with sinners.

ARBITRATION:

·        In Ramadan Abu Musa Ashari and Amr bin Aas met at Dumat-ul-Jandal, a place between Kufa and Damascus, for arbitration.

·        The question put to them was ‘’are the two eligible for the post of Caliph.’’  

·        Abu Musa announced that both Ali and Muaviya would resign and the people should be given a right to choose any one of them as Caliph.

·        Amr bin Aas announced that he agreed with Abu Musa to depose Ali but he himself had decided to retain Muaviya on his post.

·        Because Muaviya is a successful governor and his people have no complaints against him, so the election for the Caliph should take place while Muaviya retained his seat.

·        The decision was one sided so Hazrat Ali, on principle did not accept it. Now the only way for him was to fight against Muaviya once again.

KHARIJITES:

·        The term Kharijites literally means separatists or out goers. These people had taken part in the revolt against Usman and were involved in his murder.

·        When Muaviya raised the cry for revenge for the blood of Usman, they allied themselves with Hazrat Ali and fought on his side in the Battles of Camel and Siffin.

·        When the troops of Muaviya asked for cease fire, they responded to the call and forced Ali to suspend hostilities, although victory for his forces were near.

·        When Hazrat Ali was going to Kufa after the decision of arbitration right after the Battle of Siffin, they insisted that Hazrat Ali should attack the Syrians. Ali replied that he could not break the agreement signed by him.

·        Their argument was that neither Ali nor Muawiya were worthy of rule.

·        They based it on a verse of the Quran 49:9 which said that there is no arbitrator but God.

·        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.

·        When they arrived near Kufa, 12000 men separated and marched towards Harwara, where they formed a party and started their activities against Hazrat Ali.

·        In this way these people separated from the main body of the Muslims.

BATTLE OF NAHRAWAN:

·        While Hazrat Ali made preparations to attack Muaviya, the Kharijites from all over the country collected at Nahrawan and began to create problems.

·        So Ali had to fight against them first. The Kharijites were defeated badly. Out of 4000 only a few dozen managed to escape.

·        The survivors vowed to take revenge.

·        This decisive victory diverted his attention from the main struggle against Muaviya.

·        It was because of this war that Hazrat Ali was assassinated by a Kharijite two years later.

FALL OF EGYPT:

·        When Hazrat Ali decided to step forward against Muaviya, his troops disobeyed.

·        Muaviya took advantage of the disobedience and ordered Amr bin Aas to attack Egypt.

·        Governor of Egypt was defeated and Egypt came under the control of Muaviya.

·        After the fall of Egypt, a rebellion broke out throughout the Muslim Empire against the Caliph.

·        Ali signed a treaty with Muaviya in which it was decided that Syria and Egypt will be ruled by Muaviya and remaining territories would remain under Hazrat Ali.

·        The Kharijites did not want peace to prevail and they now started preparation to kill Hazrat Ali.

MARTYRDOM:

·        After the Battle of Nahrawan, the Kharijites became his bitter enemies. The survivors of the battle wanted revenge for their friends who were killed in the battle.

·        In 40A.H some of the Kharijites assembeled in Makkah and decided to kill Ali, Muaviya and Amr bin Aas simultaneously.

·        They claimed that neither Ali nor Muawiya 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.

·        Abdul Rehman bin Muljim was selected to assassinate Ali.

·        On the 18^th of Ramazan when Ali was leading the morning prayers in a mosque at Kufa, Muljim attacked him with a poisonous sword.

·        The wounds proved fatal and he died on the 21^st of Ramazan.

·        His son Hassan killed Muljim the next day.

·        There are different versions as to the place of his burial. Majority of the people hold that he was buried in Najaf.

·        He did not name anyone as his successor.

ADMINISTRATION:

·        The whole period of his caliphate passed in civil wars therefore he did not have a chance to pay proper attention to administration or conquests.

·        He administered the state on the lines laid down by the previous caliphs without making any changes.

·        The divisions of the provinces remained the same as during Umars time with a few exceptions.

·        The capital was changed from Medina to Kufa and some of the officers and governors were changed.

·        Was very particular in taking care of non-Muslims.

·        He constructed castles for the women and children who were widowed and orphaned in Iran during the days of revolt.

·        He introduced Islamic injunctions which included whip lashes to drinkers and cutting of hands on stealing.

·        He passed laws to provide food to the prisoners.

MAIN ACTIVITIES DURING HIS CALIPHATE:

·        He became caliph after the murder of `Uthman.

·        He did not immediately take steps to punish `Uthman’s killers.

·        For this Talha and Zubayr, supported by `A’isha, opposed him.

·        They fought him at the battle of the Camel.

[+1 for a full account of this opposition and its outcome.]

·        Uthman’s nephew Mu`awiya also opposed him.

·        They fought at the battle of Siffin.

·        This was indecisive so they agreed to arbitration.

[+1 for a full account of this opposition and its outcome.]

·        Some of `Ali’s supporters disagreed with this and abandoned him.

·        He defeated them at the battle of Nahrawan.

·        He was killed by one of these while at prayer.

SIGNIFICANCE:

NOVEMBER 2005(2)

 In this question you should answer part (a) and either part (b) or part (c)

(a) Write an account of the life of `Ali ibn Abi Talib, paying particular attention to:

(i) His companionship of the Prophet; [6]

(ii) His caliphate. [6]

Either (b) Explain why `Ali was opposed by Mu`awiya during his rule as caliph. [4]

Or (c) Explain why `Ali’s leadership of the community is regarded as important by Shi`i Muslims. [4]

(a) (i)

• He was close to the Prophet from childhood.

• He became one of the first Muslims.

• He married the Prophet’s daughter Fatima.

• He took the Prophet’s place in his bed at the time of the hijra.

• He was taken by the Prophet as his brother when pairing Ansar and Muhajirun.

• He was one of the foremost warriors of the Islamic community.

• He offered to fight single-handedly before a number of battles.

• [1 mark for details, e.g. his feats at the battle of Hunayn.]

• He was a scribe of the Prophet.

• He wrote the Treaty of al-Hudaybiya.

• [Shi`as believe the Prophet designated him as his successor.]

(ii)

• He became caliph after the murder of `Uthman.

• He did not immediately take steps to punish `Uthman’s killers.

• For this Talha and Zubayr, supported by `A’isha, opposed him.

• They fought him at the battle of the Camel.

• [+1 for a full account of this opposition and its outcome.]

• `Uthman’s nephew Mu`awiya also opposed him.

• They fought at the battle of Siffin.

• This was indecisive so they agreed to arbitration.

• [+1 for a full account of this opposition and its outcome.]

• Some of `Ali’s supporters disagreed with this and abandoned him.

• He defeated them at the battle of Nahrawan.

• He was killed by one of these while at prayer.

(b)

• `Ali ordered Mu`awiya to surrender his position as governor of Syria.

• Since Mu`awiya would not accept `Ali as caliph he did not do this.

• `Ali refused to take steps against the killers of Mu`awiya’s uncle `Uthman.

• Mu`awiya insisted that `Ali should punish them before he would obey him.

• Mu`awiya’s opposition was a combination of personal ambition and desire for justice.

(c)

• The Prophet designated `Ali his successor at Ghadir Qumm.

• He also showed `Ali other unique signs of recognition.

• E.g. he said: I am the city of knowledge and `Ali is the gate.

• `Ali was married to the Prophet’s daughter Fatima.

• The Qur’an gives special recognition to him as one of the five members of the Prophet’s family.

• He was the father of the only descendants of the Prophet Hasan and Husayn.

NOVEMBER 2008(2)

4 (a) Describe the main activities of 'Ali during the lifetime of the Prophet. [6]

• He was brought up in the Prophet’s house.

• He was among the first converts to Islam/the first child to become a Muslim.

• He lay in the Prophet’s bed on the night of the hijra/He was entrusted by the Prophet to return the belongings of the Makkans.

• He married the Prophet’s daughter Fatima.

• He fought in single combat before the battle of Badr.

• He fought fiercely during the capture of Khaybar.

• He wrote down the text of the Treaty of Hudaybiya.

• During the Tabuk expedition Ali was the Prophet’s deputy in Madina and did not participate in the battle.

 (b) Describe the main events of 'Ali’s rule as caliph. [6]

• He was confronted with the decision of how to treat the assassins of 'Uthman.

• Talha and Zubayr, with the support of 'A’isha, opposed him.

• He defeated them at the battle of the Camel.

• Mu'awiya refused to give him allegiance or vacate his position as Governor of Syria.

• The armies led by the two met at Siffin.

• The battle proved indecisive.

• 'Ali agreed to arbitration.

• Some of his supporters deserted him.

(c) Explain why close Companions of the Prophet opposed 'Ali, and why his supporters deserted him towards the end of his life. [2 × 2]

• Talha and Zubayr thought he should punish 'Uthman’s assassins as soon as possible.

• This was the just action and they thought `Ali was wrong not to do it.

• 'Ali’s supporters at Siffin thought he was the leader of the community and those who opposed him were wrong.

• So they thought he was wrong to arbitrate with sinners.

JUNE 2009(2)

4 (a) Describe the main events of the caliphate of ‘Ali. [10]

A very basic answer will show some knowledge of the main events, including the battle of Camel and the battle of Siffin. A slightly more developed answer will describe the problems faced by the caliph in some detail. The better candidates will give a full account of the caliph’s rule and show the difficulties he faced, giving names and dates e.g. they could give an account of Talha and Zubayr’s opposition to him with the support of Hazrat A‘isha, ‘Ali’s dismissal of the governors appointed by ‘Uthman and the consequent problem that resulted from it, as well as the separatist movement of the Kharijites and the battle fought with them in 658AD/37AH. Answers may go on to give a comprehensive account that reflects both knowledge and understanding of the reasons for the upsets during ‘Ali’s rule.

(b) Explain why Talha and Zubayr opposed ‘Ali. [4]

The candidates could give a mainly descriptive account of the opposition of Talha and Zubayr. Better answers could give an explanation of their action stemming from their disagreement over ‘Ali’s reaction to the death of ‘Uthman. Candidates may well discuss ‘Ali’s problem of having to act against law-breakers while not yet in a secure position. However focussing on reasons rather than description and pointing towards the complexity of motivations on both sides will enable candidates to get top marks.

NOVEMBER 2009(1)

4 (a) Write briefly about the conversion to Islam of Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman and ‘Ali. [10]

Good answers for this part will give full, yet concise, accounts of the four conversion stories. Candidates should talk about the conversion stories and not their later lives.

Some points that could be mentioned for each companion are:

Abu Bakr: close friend of the prophet from childhood and amongst the first to convert (first free adult male); he became Muslim without hesitation; was open about calling others to the new faith and persuaded many to accept Islam; he purchased slaves and set them free; he was the first person to openly invite people to the new faith and was beaten severely.

‘Umar: he was initially angry at the prophet and the new message he was preaching and set out to kill him; on his way he was told his own sister and brother-in-law had converted and so went there; overheard recitation of part of sura Ta Ha; when he read the words himself he went to accept Islam; he had a reputation of being the fiercest man in Makka and so his conversion provided Muslims some protection; he fought Qur’aysh until Muslims could pray at the Ka’ba.

‘Uthman: he converted at the hands of Abu Bakr; was the third male convert; his family deserted him after his conversion; he was married to the Prophet’s daughter Ruqayyah soon after; amongst the first group to migrate to Abyssinia.

‘Ali: he was a cousin of the prophet who had been taken into the prophet’s household to alleviate the financial burden on his family; one of the first Muslims (only ten when he accepted Islam); when the prophet openly invited others to come to Islam, only ‘Ali stepped forward to help him; for this ‘Ali was made the prophet’s brother and vice-regent; caused ridicule amongst Qur’aysh who laughed at the thought of elders obeying ‘Ali; ‘Ali stood firm during persecutions.