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Starting Life
"My eyes are sore are my legs are thing, but I'll stand by you, O Messenger of Allah.

Thus said a young man of ten, when the Holy Prophet put his message before his own relatives. The boy was Ali, the cousin of the Holy Prophet. Ali was born some thirty years after the birth of the Holy Prophet. His father, Abu Talib, was the Holy Prophet's real uncle. Fatima was the name of Ali's mother.

The Holy Prophet had lost his father before he was born. At a very early age he also lost his mother, Amina, and his grandfather Abdul Muttalib. Thereafter it was his uncle, Abu Talib who took care of him and brought him up.

Abu Talib had a very large family. He was rather a poor man. When Ali was born, the Holy Prophet was a grown up man. He had wife and children. So he took Ali to his own home and brought him up like his own son. He did this to take a little burden off the shoulders of his loving uncle. But this had another effect too. Ali grew up in the atmosphere of virtue and piety which no other home could provide.

Acceptance of Islam
Ali was over nine years of age when the Holy Prophet was called to the Divine Mission. One day Ali saw his cousin and his wife put their foreheads on the ground. They were uttering praises of Allah, the Almighty. Ali looked on in amazement. Never before had he seen anybody say prayers in this fashion.

When the prayer was over, Ali asked his cousin what the strange act meant. "We were worshipping Allah, the One," the Holy Prophet said, "I advise you to do the same. Never bend your head before Lat, Uzza or any other idol
“But I have never heard of any such thing before," said Ali;
"I will speak to father first and then let you know. You should not as yet talk to anyone about this matter. Think for yourself and make up your mind," the Holy Prophet advised his little cousin This advice made an irresistible appeal to Ali's good sense.

He started thinking over the matter. The more he thought over it, the more convinced he grew of the truth of his good cousin's words. Next morning Ali came and accepted Islam. He was the first youth to join the fold of Islam.

Closeness to the Prophet
Ali grew up under the loving care of the Prophet. This gave him a deep insight into the basic realities of life and faith. The Holy Prophet once said of him, "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate".

Ali's love for the Holy Prophet was unbounded. The night on which the Prophet left for Medina, his house was surrounded by blood-thirsty men. Drawn swords flashed all around. They were ready to cut to pieces the man who came out of the house.

The Holy Prophet asked Ali to lie in his bed while he himself left un-noticed. Ali gladly jumped in the bed and slept calmly the whole night. Death hovered around the house but Ali did not care for it. He was happy that he had helped save the Prophet's life.

The Holy Prophet had deposits of the people with him. With all their opposition to him, the Meccans knew of no other man whom they could trust. The Prophet had to return their deposits of the people before he left for Yathrib (Medinah). He handed these to Ali, to be carefully given back to the depositors. Ali stayed at Mecca for three more days. He returned the people's deposits and then set off to Medina to join the Prophet.

Ali had a very close blood tie with the Holy Prophet. But the Prophet wanted to bring him still closer. So he gave away his daughter, Fatima, to him in marriage. She was his youngest daughter and the most dearly loved of all. Ali realised the honor done to him. He married no other wife as long as Fatima lived. Hasan and Husain were the sons of Ali and Fatima. The Holy Prophet loved them like his own sons.

Married life of Ali and Fatima
The married life of Ali and Fatima did not extend beyond nine years. It was a happy union. Nevertheless there were differences between the pair occasionally.

Once, Allah's Apostle went to Fatima's house but did not find 'Ali there. So he asked, "Where is your cousin?"

She replied, "There was something between us and he got angry with me and went out. He did not sleep (mid-day nap) in the house."

Allah's Apostle asked a person to look for him. That person came and said, "O Allah's Apostle! He (Ali) is sleeping in the mosque."

Allah's Apostle went there and 'Ali was lying. His upper body cover had fallen down to one side of his body and he was covered with dust. Allah's Apostle started cleaning the dust from him saying: "Get up! O Aba Turab. Get up! O Aba Turab, which literally means: O father of dust.
(Narrated Sahl bin Sa'd, Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 8 (Prayers), Number 432 )

Death of Fatima
Fatima took the death of the Holy Prophet to heart, and she passed away in early 633 C E, barely six months after the passing away of the Holy Prophet. She was only twenty-nine years old at the time or her death. Her marriage lasted for a short period of eight or nine years only. During this period she gave birth to five children, three sons and two daughters. Her three sons were Hasan, Husain, and Mohsin. Mohsin died during infancy. Hasan was about seven years old while Husain was about six years old at the time of her death.

Ali's grief at the death of Fatima
Ali, may allah be pleased with him, was much grieved at the death of Fatima. Her passing away so soon after the death of the Holy Prophet was a great blow for Ali. He felt disconsolate. He poured his grief in the following elegiac verses:
"Afflicted as I feel with many a worldly disease.
Verily, men in this world would suffer as long as they live in this vale of tears and sorrow.
Verily, after the demise of the Holy Prophet, Fatima's loss has shown, that friends do not last forever. "

In this hour of grief, Ali addressed the soul of the Holy Prophet in the following terms:
"O Messenger of God please accept my greetings, and the greetings from your daughter who has hastened to join you. O Prophet of God my patience has been exhausted at her death. I am most distressed and disconsolate. At your death I suppressed my grief with great difficulty. I laid you in the grave with my own hands. Verily, from God you came and to God you have returned. We all belong to God and to Him we have to return. Fatima was a trust with me, which has now been taken away from me. My state of affairs will be told to you by your daughter. Please do inquire about me from her. Much time has not elapsed to your death, and the memory of your passing away is very much alive with me. I pay my greetings and respects to you. As I can expect relief in my distress only from you. If I move away from your grave, it will not be because of any indifference on my part and if I stay here, it will not be so because of having lost confidence in the promise that God has made to those who are patient."

Ali used to visit the grave of Fatima frequently, and used to write verses to express his grief. On one occasion he wrote:
"O thou grave, to thee I resort for paying homage to thee.
"O thou, the repository of my beloved Thou answer me not.
"O thou beloved tomb, what ails thee Thou respondeth not to my supplications. Art thou, out of humor, Because of the love that I bear thee. "

His knowledge
He was the most learned man of his age. He was a living encyclopedia of knowledge and learning. Because of his knowledge and wisdom he is known as the "Second Solomon".

His wise sayings and aphorisms have attained the status of classical proverbs. He was the first person to write a grammar of the Arabic language. Among the early Muslims he is the only person whose collections of writings have come down to us under the title of Nahj-ul-Balagha (The way of eloquence).

He was a distinguished poet. He enjoys fame as the "Father of Rhetoric". He was an authority on Mathematics. He was a master of the science of Physics. He had deep medical knowledge. After the Holy Prophet he is regarded as the greatest philosopher of Islam. He was a calligrapher and his handwriting was beautiful.

His spiritual attainments
He was the first person to learn the Quran by heart. According to commentators there are at least three hundred verses in the Holy Quran which have an implied reference to Ali.

After the Holy Prophet he was the chief judge among the early Muslims. He is regarded as the "Father of Fiqh". He is the first revivalist among the Muslims. He interpreted the doctrines of Islam and systematized them. He is regarded as the "Father of Sufism". All schools of Tasawwuff trace their origin to him.

Ali, The Generous
Ali's generosity
Generosity was one of the main attributes of Ali. According to Ali when someone in need asks for your help and you help him that is liberality or munificence. When you help a man in need before he asks of your help that is generosity.

In Arab annals, Hatim a Bedouin is known for his generosity. According to the accounts that have come down to us, Ali out-classed him in the matter of generosity. Ali used to say "Woe to that man who spends his wealth in buying male and female slaves, but spends not his money on the free-born who, with a little alms would become enslaved in gratitude to him for ever."

Preference for the supplicant to one's own Deeds
Once a supplicant went to the house of the Holy Prophet to beg for food, but there was no one in the house. On being told of this by his wives, the Holy Prophet asked whether there was anyone who could give relief to the supplicant.

Ali offered to take the beggar to his house. There Fatima said that there was nothing in the house except a few loaves that she had cooked for the children. She, however, gave the loaves to the supplicant saying that she would give them to the beggar, and would rather see her children go hungry. It was on this occasion that the following verse of that Holy Quran was revealed: "They prefer the supplicant to themselves even though they may be hungry themselves. And whosoever is rid of the covetousness of his own soul will be triumphant"{59:9}.

God accepted Ali's charity
It is related that once, somebody presented 300 gold coins to the Holy Prophet, who made a present of them to Ali. On the way home, Ali saw a harlot to whom he gave one hundred coins. The next day the whole town was gossiping about Ali's misplaced charity for giving the money to a woman of ill repute.

Ali felt offended and decided that he would give another hundred coins to a worthier person this time he met a thief and he gave him one hundred coins. The people were critical of Ali squandering the money by giving it to a brigand.

Ali decided that whatever money was left with him he would give it to a deserving person. This time he gave the money to a person who happened to be rich man. The people became loud in the criticism of Ali in his charity to undeserving persons.

It was, however, revealed to the Holy Prophet that God had accepted the charity of Ali. The harlot after getting the money gave up her profession and decided to lead a chaste life. The thief after getting the money gave up robbery, the rich man on getting the alms felt so repentant that he distributed all his wealth among the poor.

Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, as a Judge
Ali was the most learned man of the age in Islamic law. He acted as a Judge during the time of the Holy Prophet, and the Caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar. Some of the judgments delivered by Ali are on record, and show his highly developed sense of discerning the truth, and doing justice.

The story of loaves
Once two companions went on a journey. One of them had five loaves with him, and the other one had three loaves. On the way they were joined by a stranger who shared the loaves with them.

On departure the stranger gave them an amount of eight dirhams. A dispute arose between the two companions about the division of the amount. The man who had five loaves wanted to keep five dirhams for himself and give three dirhams to his companion. His companion did not accept this decision and insisted that the amount should be divided equally between them, and that each one of them should get four dirhams.

The men wanted Ali to decide their dispute. While entertaining the suit, Ali asked the man who had three loaves that he should accept what his friend offered him namely three dirhams. He did not accept the offer, and wanted that the matter should be adjudicated so that due justice was done. Ali asked whether at the time of the sharing of loaves all the three persons concerned had equal share. He was told that it was so.

Ali thereupon gave the judgment that the man with three loaves was entitled to one dirham while the other man who had five loaves was entitled to seven dirhams. This bewildered the man with three loaves who would not accept even three dirhams. He wanted Ali to enlighten him as to the basis of his judgment.

Ali explained the position thus: "You had three loaves and your companion had five loaves. There were thus 8 loaves in all. As all the loaves were shared equally between three persons, divide each loaf into three pieces. That would make 24 pieces. Your companion owned five loaves or fifteen pieces while you owned three loaves or nine pieces. As these 24 pieces were shared equally, this means that each one of you ate eight pieces. You had nine pieces, and out of these you ate eight pieces yourself. Thus the stranger ate only one piece from your loaves. Your companion had fifteen pieces. Out of these he ate eight pieces himself leaving seven pieces which were eaten by the stranger. Thus the stranger ate one piece from you and seven pieces from your companion. It is therefore plain arithmetic that for one piece you are entitled to one dirham and your companion is entitled to seven dirhams for seven pieces."

Dispute about a child
Once a dispute arose between two women about the possession of a child. Each woman claimed to be the mother of the child. No proof could be adduced from either side, but each woman insisted emphatically that the child belonged to her. In the absence of any satisfactory evidence, Ali was unable to decide to whom the child actually belonged.

Exasperated addressing the women, Ali said that there is no satisfactory evidence had been produced and as both the women insisted on the motherhood of the child, he had no option but decide that the child be cut in two parts, and thus the child be divided among them. Hearing this decision, one of the women burst into tears and said, "My Lord, do not kill the child. You may very well award it to the other woman". Thereupon Ali declared that she was indeed the mother of the child, and delivered the child to her.

The Cow and the Ass
Once, a complaint was lodged in the court of Ali by a man that the cow of another person had killed his ass. Ali summoned the owner of the cow and asked him to offer his defense if any. He said that as a matter of fact the ass had attacked the cow first and the cow had killed the ass in retaliation.

Ali asked the owner of the cow, "Where were you when the ass attacked the cow?" He said that he was driving the cow.

Then he asked the owner of the ass, "Where was the ass at the time?" He said that it was tied. Addressing the owner of the cow Ali said that as the ass was tied, and the cow was untied. His plea that the ass had first attacked the cow was untenable. He accordingly decreed that the owner of the cow should compensate the owner of the ass.

Child born in six months after marriage
In the time of Umar, a child was born to a woman six month after her marriage. When the case came to the notice of Umar he was of the view that it was a prima facie case of adultery and as such the woman should be sentenced to punishment for adultery.

Umar referred the case to Ali. No evidence was forthcoming to the effect that the woman had any illicit liaison before marriage. Ali held that the mere fact that the child had been born six months after the marriage would not be a sufficient ground for convicting the woman.

Ali pointed out that in the Holy Quran the period from conception to the weaning of the child is laid down at thirty months, and the period of the weaning of the child after birth is given as two years. This means that though under normal circumstances a child is born after nine months, a child may be born after six months under abnormal conditions. The woman was accordingly let off and absolved of the charge of adultery.

References to Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, in the Holy Quran
According to the commentators of the Holy Quran there are numerous verses in the Holy Quran which have implied references to Ali. According to the Shia commentators there are as many as three hundred verses of the Holy Quran which have an implied reference to Ali. According to the Sunni commentators, the number is much smaller. Some of the verses which according to the consensus of the commentator refer to Ali are given hereunder:

Verse 33, Sura 33
Verse 33 of Sura 33 of the Holy Quran {33:33} reads: "Allah's wish is to remove uncleanliness far from you O'Folk of the Prophet's household, and cleanse you with enough cleaning". Ali is obviously included in the expression "Folk of the Prophet's household".

Verse 61, Sura 3
Verse 61 of Sura 3 provides {3:61}: "And who so disputes with you concerning God after the knowledge which has come to you say to him: Come, we will summon our sons, your sons, our women and your women and ourselves and yourselves. Then we will pray humbly to our Lord, and solemnly invoke the curse of Allah upon those who lie."

This verse alludes to the deputation of the Christians of Najran who came to Madina to hold discussion with the Holy Prophet about the truth of Islam.

Verse 3, Sura 9
In this verse, the reference to "Our sons, and our women" includes reference to Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain. Verse 3, of Sura 9 provides: And a proclamation from God and His Apostle to the people on the day of 'Greater Pilgrimage' that Allah is free from obligation to the idolaters and so is His Messenger. So, if you repent it will be better for you; but if you are averse, then know that you cannot escape Allah. Give tidings O Muhammad of a painful doom to those who disbelieve".

In pursuance of this verse, the Holy Prophet commissioned Ali to go to the 'Greater Pilgrimage' to announce the verses of the Sura of "Immunity" wherein God absolved the Muslims from all obligations under the treaties previously concluded with the idolaters.

Verse 23, Sura 42
Verse 23 of Sura 42 reads {42:23}: "Say O Muhammad to mankind: I do not ask of you any reward for it, but love for relatives, and whosoever earns good".

According to traditions when the Holy Prophet was asked as to who were the relatives alluded to in the verse, the Holy Prophet said, "Verily, the reference is to Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Husain".

Verse 21, Sura 45
Verse 21 of Sura 45 reads {45:21}: "Do those who commit evil deeds suppose that We shall treat them like those who believe and do good deeds-that their lives and their deaths shall be equal. No, bad is their judgment".

According to Ibn Abbas "the doers of good" referred to in this verse refer to Ali, Hamza and Ubaydah ibn Harith.

Verse 17, Sura 11
Verse 17 of Sura 11 reads {17:11}: "Is he to be counted equal with those who rely on a clear proof from his Lord and a witness from Him recites it, and before it was the Book of Moses, an example and a mercy ? Such believe therein. Whoso disbelieves therein the Fire is his appointed place. So be not you in doubt concerning it. Lo, it is the truth from your Lord, but most of mankind believe it not".

In one of his sermons, Ali said that there was hardly a man from amongst the Quraish who had not been referred to in the Holy Quran. Ali was asked to recite some verse which alluded to him. Thereupon he recited the above verse.

Participation in Battles
Ali was the hero of many a battle fought in the lifetime of the Prophet. With the exception of the battle of Tabuk, he joined all battles and expeditions.

The great dispute
When Othman Ibn Affan was brutally killed after being under siege(by some rioters who were originally some hooligans and outlaws who hated Othman for punishing them or hypocrites who claimed that they were Muslims, but actually hated Islam and were waiting for an opportunity to cause troubles for the strong Islamic society), his wife asked Muawya’s, his cousin and the governor of Ashaam (Syria, Palestine and Jordan), to avenge him.

Ali's Election
After Othman's murder, there was no Caliph of Islam for three days. Medina was completely in the grip of the rioters. The rioters proposed Ali's name for the Caliphate. They requested him to become the Caliph.

Ali refused at first. But someone had to bring life back to normal. Things in the capital were in a bad way. Ali had talks with those of the Companions who were still in Medina. They said that he should come forward to serve the people.

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

The First Address
After becoming Caliph, Ali gave his first address. It was eloquent and forceful. In it Ali said:
"Area around the Kaaba is sacred. Allah commands the Muslims to live as brothers. A Muslims is he who does not hurt anyone with his word or deed. Fear Allah in your dealings with other men. On the Day of Judgment you will have to answer for your dealings, even with animals. Obey Allah, the Almighty. Do not cast aside His commandments. Do good and keep away from evil."

Ali knew very well that difficult time 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.

Ali addressed the people in the mosque and as soon as the address was over, a party of Companions met Ali, Talha and Zubair among them.

"You are now the Caliph," the deputation said. "Your first duty is to enforce the law of Shari'ah. So punish the murderers of Othman. It was on this understanding that we pledged loyalty to you."

"I will not let Othman's death go un-avenged," Ali assured the deputation, "but you must wait. Conditions are not normal yet. The rioters are still powerful in Medina. We are in their grip. My own position is shaky. So please wait. As soon as conditions allow, I will do my duty."

The answer did not satisfy all. Some insisted that people must take the matter in their own hands. If Ali was unable to punish the murderers of Othman, they themselves must do it.

The rioters got to know of what was going on. They felt sure that Ali would punish them if things returned to normal. They saw their only hope in a state of continued unrest. For this they had only to play off one party against the other.

Immediately they started the game. They began sowing misunderstanding everywhere. Their aim was to keep the leaders of public opinion divided. In this alone lay their safety and their future.

Aisha was gone for Haj (Pilgrimage) when Othman was killed. On her way back, she got the horrible news of his murder. She went back to Mecca. Here she addressed a public gathering. She told people how cruel it was on the part of the rioters to have killed the Caliph in cold blood, in the holy city of the Prophet. She appealed to them to avenge the death of the late Caliph.

Hundreds of men came out at Aisha's call. The Governor of Mecca was one of them. In the meantime, Talha and Zubair also reached Mecca. They told Aisha what they had seen at Medina. They urged upon her the need for quick action against the rioters and assured her of their support. They also advised her to go to Basra in Iraq, to win more support for her cause

Aisha set out to Basra at the head of a big force. More people joined her on the way. By the time she reached Basra, there were three thousand men under her flag.

Reaching Basra, Ali sent a man to Aisha to clear away the misunderstanding she and her supporters had.

"What is it that you people really want?" the man asked them.

"We want nothing but the well-being of Muslims," they replied. "This is not possible until the death of Othman has been avenged."

"The demand for revenge is very just," Ali's envoy went on. "But how can you lay hands on the mischief-mongers, without first making the hands of the Caliph strong? You have had experience of this. You began punishing the rioters of Basra. But you found yourselves helpless in the case of Harqus bin Zubair. You wanted to slay him, but six thousand men rose to defend the culprit. You had to let him go. If necessity can drive you to overlook the crime of one man, how can you blame anything on Ali? If you really want to end trouble, gather under the banner of the Caliph. Do not plunge the people into civil war. It is a question for the whole people. I hope you love peace and order rather then general suffering and bloodshed."

Aisha, Talha and Zubair were moved by the appeal. "If Ali is really keen to avenge Othman's death," they declared, "our differences can be easily settled."

They envoy brought back hopeful news for the Caliph. With the envoy also came some men of Basra. They wanted to make sure that Ali was not going to treat them like a fallen enemy. Ali assured them that they had nothing to fear.

The hope of peace brightened. But in the army of Ali there were Abdullah bin Saba and his henchmen. Peace was fatal to them. They were very much disturbed by what Ali had said after the envoy's return to Basra.

O people," he had said, "the greatest favor Allah did to you was unity. Unity made you strong and great. The enemies of Islam did not like this. They have made a bid to shatter out unity. Beware of them. Tomorrow we will march to Basra with a peaceful aim. Those who took any part in Othman's murder should part company with us."

Abdullah bin Saba and his men were taken aback at this declaration. They met in secret council.

"Ali is going to avenge Othman's death," they whispered to one another. "He now says what Talha, Zubair and Aisha say. We must do something about it."

On the following day, Ali marched off to Basra. Talha and Zubair came out of the city with their army. The two armies lay facing each other for three days. Peace talks were going on. On the third day, the top leaders of both sides had a face-to-face talk. Ali rode forward on his horse. From the other side came Talha and Zubair on their horses. They stood face to face, the necks of their horses touching.

"Am I not your brother?" said Ali, addressing the two. "Is not the blood of a Muslim sacred to another Muslim?"

"I curse the murderers of Othman," went on Ali. "O Talha! did you not pledge loyalty to me?"

"Yes, but at the point of the sword," Talha spoke back.

"Do you remember, O Zubair," said Ali, now addressing the second man, "that the Prophet of Allah, one day asked you if you loved me. You said 'Yes'. Thereupon the Prophet of Allah foretold that one day you would fight me unjustfully."

"Certainly!" replied Zubair, "I now recall the words of the Prophet of Allah."

After this conversation the three men went back to their camps. The conversation had brought their hearts closer to one another. Each one had been set thinking seriously about the grim outcome of the civil war. The general feeling was that peace was clearly in sight.

After remembering that story Zubair decided to leave the battle field and was on his way to Mecca. He stopped in a valley to say his prayer. While busy in prayer, he was killed by a man named Amr bin Jarmoz. Jarmoz brought Zubair's sword to Ali.

He hoped to get a reward for slaying the Caliph's rival. But, in place of reward, he got a stern rebuke.

"I saw the owner of this sword fight for the Prophet of Allah several times," said Ali. "I give his murderer the news of hellfire."

Ali went back to his camp. He felt almost sure that bloodshed had been averted. He gave strict orders that no one should shoot even a single arrow. At night he prayed to Allah to save the Muslims the horrors of the civil war.

The night came on. The two armies lay in sound sleep. But Abdullah bin Saba and his henchmen set up the whole night. This was their last chance. They must not let it slip by.

The battle of Aljamal (The camel)
It was still dark when the clang of steel rent the air. There was a sudden uproar. Saba and his men had made a sudden attack on Aisha's army! Soon a full-dress battle was in full swing.

Aisha's army was startled by the uproar.
"What is this all about?" they asked.
"Ali's army had made a night attack," came the reply.
"Alas!" they exclaimed, "Ali could not be stopped from shedding the blood of Muslims. We had this fear all the time."
Ali got equally startled by the sudden outburst of din.
"What is the matter?" he asked.
"Talha and Zubair have taken us by surprise," replied the followers of Saba.
"Alas!" said Ali, "these men could not be stopped from killing Muslims, I had this fear all the time."

The fighting soon grew fierce. Muslims flew at the throats of Muslims. Hundreds fell on each side. Talha fell fighting.

Both Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her and Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, wanted to stop the fight but they could not. Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, kept on shouting “Stop the fight", but no one listened. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, sent a man called Kaab with the holy Quran to make the people stop but he was killed by the murderers of Othman, may Allah be pleased with him. She kept calling to the people “O my sons the rest, the rest, Allah, Allah, remember Allah and His judgment"

Then Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said : O people, curse the killers of Othman and she went on begging God to save the Muslims. People of Basra joined her in her pledge to Allah to save the Muslims and there was a loud noise. Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, asked what that noise was, he knew that Aisha is praying to Allah to curse the murderers of Othman, may Allah be pleased with him. Ali too, joined her in her pledge to Allah to curse the murderers of Othman.

Fearing peace, Ibn sabaa ordered his men to kill Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, so they started to attack her Hawdag fiercely. Ali ordered 40 of the finest Muslim companions of the prophet to throw arrows on the camels legs so let it fall so that they can surround the camel of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, by their own bodied to defend her and protect her from harm. They all fought desperately for the honor of the Prophet's widow.

Ali's heart bled at the sight. Precious lives of Muslims were being lost for nothing. With this ended the fighting.

Aisha was taken out of the howdag, with all the respect due to her. She was unhurt. Ali went to her and took her to his house

Ali made a round of the battlefield. Scores of well-known Companions lay in the dust. About ten thousand men from both sides had lost their lives.

Among the killed were some of the best sons of Islam. Ali felt deeply moved. He did not allow his men to take possession of the booty. The whole of it was collected. The people of Basra were told to take back their belongings from the Caliph.

As she was about to leave, a number of men gathered around her camel. She addressed them and said, "My children, do not blame one another. By Allah, there is no enmity between me and Ali. It was a mere family squabble. I consider Ali from the best of men."

To this Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, replied, "She is perfectly right. Our differences were just a family affair. She occupies a very high place in the Faith. Both here and in the world to come, she is the honored wife of the Prophet of Allah."

When Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, was prepared to leave Basra, Ali sent with her 40 soldiers and he provided them with everything that may be needed while traveling. He sent her brother, Muhammad Abu Bakr, with her. She left on Saturday, 1st Rajab 36A.H. Ali accompanied her for miles, then his sons accompanied her for a whole day. Then they left her with her brother.

When she reached her home, she found out that the soldiers who were with her were forty of the best Muslim women that Ali chose to accompany her as a respect for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

When Aisha knew that she was deeply distressed, she felt sorry for taking part in this dispute, her only relief was that her intention was to reconcile Muslims.

By this ended the battle on Aljamal (The camel). When Umar Ibn Abd Alaziz (the grand son of Umar Ibn Alkhattab, the most famous ruler in Islam after the four guided caliphs, he followed their way to the extent that he is considered by all Muslims as the Fifth guided Caliph) was asked about that dispute he said : “This is blood that Allah purified my hands from, I will not suffuse my tongue with it"

We testify that both sides did not want but what they saw as best for Islam. We testify that the murderers of Othman plotted the whole dispute. We have only love and respect for both the side of Ali and Aisha, may Allah be pleased with them and we pray to Allah to curse the murderers of Othman and punish them bitterly in judgment day.

After the battle of Al-Jamal (The camel)
After Al-Jamal battle everything calmed down and Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was accepted as a caliph in Iraq (Kufa and Basra), Egypt, Yamen, Bahrain, Oman, Ahyamama, Fares, Khourasan and Saudi Arabia, i.e. most of the Islamic territory except for Ahsham (Syria and Lebanon) which was still governed by Mouawya ibn Abi Sufyan, may Allah be pleased with him.

Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, settled in Kufa and started ruling from there. At the same time Muawya refused to accept Ali as Caliph. Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, started to focus on Alsham.

Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, as the caliph wanted all territories of Islam to unite and so he wanted Al-sham to accept him as the caliph. On the other hand Muawya, may Allah be pleased with him, believed that Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, should hand him the murderers of Othman, may Allah be pleased with him.

There were correspondences between the two sides, Ali wanted Muawya to accept him as caliph then he would hand him the murderers of Othman, may Allah be pleased with him, and Muawya, may Allah be pleased with him, wanted Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, to kill the murderers of Othman first then he would accept the caliph.

The battle of Safeen
Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, prepared an army of nearly 90,000 soldier and marched to Al-Sham. Meanwhile, Muawya marched with an army of nearly the same number of soldiers to Iraq. Correspondences between the two sides could not stop the war.

The battle started in the month of Thi-AlHegga at 36 A.H. with individual confrontations but not a complete war till the month of Almouharam at 37 A.H. In the month of Almoharam there were attempts to stop the war till Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, offered to face Muawya in a personal duel till one of them wins. Amr Ibn Alas told Muawya: The man is fair to you and he advised Muawya to accept this offer to stop the war and prevent blood shed but Muawya refused and told Amr : He (Ali, may Allah be pleased with him) is not fair, you know he never fought a man unless he won

So the battle started in the start of the month of Safar at 37 A.H.

In the seventh day an incident happened…Amar Ibn Yasser, may Allah be pleased with him, a famous companion who fought in the army of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was killed. This had a tremendous effect because all Muslims remembered the Prophet’s words that Amar will be killed by the unjust group. To overcome the state of panic and depression that spread in his army (because they found out that they killed Amar which means that they are the unjust group), Muawya, may Allah be pleased with him, harried to his soldiers and told them that they were in a state of self defence and that the one who killed Amar is the one who drove him to this war (meaning Ali, may Allah be pleased with him).

When Ali’s army was about to win, the soldiers of Muawya raised the holly Quran asking for judgment according to the book of Allah (the holly Quran).

Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was not fooled by that trick and ordered his soldiers to continue the fight. He told Muawya’s army that he was very well aware of what the Holly Quran and that they only raised the Quran for fear of his winning the war.

At this critical moment, the murderers of Othman again acted quickly. They refused to follow Ali’s order and told Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, to accept the arbitration.

Of course, the murderers of Othman wanted the arbitration to prevent Ali’s winning the war because they knew that first thing he would do when things calm down would be to punish them for the murder of Othman, may Allah be pleased with him. That’s why Ali’s attempts to convince them that the raising of the holly Quran was only a trick were all in vain. They even threatened Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, that they would turn against him and even kill him. That’s how Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was forced to accept the arbitration. He had to accept the arbitration to avoid the mutiny that was about to happen in his army.

Ali wanted Abdullah Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, as his representative in the arbitration, bit again the murderers of Othman refused so he chose his army leader AlAshtar Ahnakhyi, but again they refused and they forced him to choose Abu Mussa Al-Ashaary

Muawya, may Allah be pleased with him, on the other hand chose Amr Ibn Al-As as his representative. They agreed that they should stop the war and rule by the holly Quran and the honorable sunnah and that the representatives would meet in the month of Ramadan 37 A.H. at a place called Dawmat Al-Jandal (mid way between Iraq and Al-Sham) and that Ali and Muawya, may Allah be pleased with them, should send 400 from their followers to witness the verdict.

And so ended the battle of Safeen without a complete victory for either sides although Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was very close to achieving the victory. About 110,000 were killed (90,000 from Al-Sham and 20,000 from Iraq). Others say that 70,000 were killed (45,000 from Alsham and 25,000 from Iraq).

The Khawarej
After accepting the arbitration a new type of mutiny arose in the army of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him. Some of the soldiers (some say 16,000 others say 12,000 others says around 8000) refused the arbitration and refused to enter Kufa with Ali, may Allah be pleased with him. They stayed in a place called Haruraa (2 miles from Kufa).They were called Al-khawarej (the deviators because they deviated form PANNIER

It was difficult for Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, to lose part of his army so he tried to convince them with his point of view. He sent Abdullah Ibn Abbas to talk to them then he went himself to talk to them.

He said that he accepted the arbitration on condition that the judges would rule by the Quran so if they don’t then he would not accept their verdict.

So they said: “do you think it is right to make men judge in blood-shed"
He answered : “we are not arbitrating humans we are arbitrating the holly Quran"

They accepted his words and entered Kufa, but their intentions were not as they claim. They tried to make Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, change his words with Muawya and refuse the arbitration but the noble Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, refused to change his word of honor to Muawya, may Allah be pleased with him.

The Arbitration
Some says that the judges could not reach an agreement others say that they agreed on the dismissal of Ali and Muawya, may Allah be pleased with them, and let the whole matter in the hands of Muslims to elect their caliph.

In here we have to mention that many lies were said about the inattention of Abu Musa Alashari (the judge from Ali’s side) and the deceit of Amr ib Al-As (the judge from Muawya’s side) are all untrue and stupid lies.

Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, and the Khawarej
Al-khawarej now refused to accept Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, and Muawya, may Allah be pleased with him, as caliphs. They appointed Abdullah Ibn wahb Al-Rassebi as their leader. Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said that if they were silence then he would not fight them. He actually wanted to end his problems with Muawya first and this was his highest priority so that Muslims would unite as soon as possible and blood shed would be prevented.

But Al-Khawarej started causing problems. They killed Abdullah Ibn Khabab Ibn AlArat who had his pregnant wife with him. They asked him what he thought of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, so he praised Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, so they killed him and his wife. Those people were acting really strangely, they killed Abdullah and refused to accept a palm tree offered to them by a Christian who was ready to give it as a gift to them because he was afraid of them. They insisted on paying the price of the palm tree so the Christian said : “You kill a man like Abdullah Ibn Khabab and don’t accept a palm tree ? “

They asked Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, to admit that he is a disbeliever so that they can return to his army.

Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, had to get rid of those people, but before he fought them he spoke to them again. His conversation had it’s effect. Some of them had their senses back and returned to the side of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, but some were not convinced and insisted on the fight.

The battle of Nahrawan
Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, and the rest of Al-khawarej met on a fight called the battle of Nahrawan at 38 A.H. Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was victorious.

The last step in the Caliphate
Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, then decided to prepare his soldiers for a final decisive battle with Muawya but his soldiers failed him.

The murderers of Othman used all the possible opportunities to convince the soldiers to leave Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, and unfortunately they succeeded again.

Only 1000 soldier was still left with Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, the murderers of Othman left his army too. He returned to Kufa.

At the same time Muawya managed to control other Islamic countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Yamen and Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was left only with Iraq and Fares under his control

Martyrdom of Ali - 661 CE
The Khawarej plot
Ali defeated the Khawarej at the Battle of Nahrawan, but that was not the end of the Khawarej. Because of the reverse met at Nahrawan they became all the more fanatic. Those who survived the disaster of Nahrawan burnt with the desire to seek vengeance for the blood of their comrades who had fallen in the Battle of Nahrawan.

After the Battle of Nahrawan, many Kharijites went to Makkah and sought sanctuary in the Kaaba. At Makkah they saw that the occupation of the city by the Syrians, the people repudiated their oath of allegiance to Ali, and transferred their allegiance to Muawiyah, later they saw that when the Syrians were driven away from Hijaz, the people of Makkah recanted from their oath of allegiance to Muawiyah, and took the oath of allegiance to Ali again.

The Kharijites felt sore that in this way the sanctity of the process of oath taking was violated, and instead of establishing the kingdom of God on earth, the parties were trying to establish their own kingdoms. That was revolting to the way of thinking of the Kharijites. According to their view all those who were fighting for power had committed sin and had ceased to be Muslims.

Fanatics as they were, they had the conviction that they would be serving the cause of God, if they murdered all such persons who were the principal characters in the struggle for power. They singled out three men for such murder: Ali, Muawiyah and 'Amr b Al-A'as.

The Kharijites in Makkah met at the Kaaba, and commissioned three young men to carry the plot of murder into effect. Abdur Rahman Ibn Maljam al Sarimi was chosen to assassinate Ali at Kufa. Barq ibn Abdullah was entrusted with the task of murdering Muawiyah. Amr ibn Bakr was assigned the task of putting an end to 'Amr ibn Al-A as at Fustat.

These young men whitened their swords with deadly poison. Thereafter they were required to proceed to the places assigned to them, and there wait till the seventeenth of the month of the Ramadan, when all the three assassins were to fall on their victims and kill them.

Assassination of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him
Abdur Rahman ibn Muljam al Sarimi, the designated assassin of Ali, reached Kufa well before the appointed date. Here he fell in love with a Khawarej girl Qataum by name.

According to chronicles she was an outstanding beauty. She had a face as beautiful as the moon, and her flowing jet black tresses were most captivating. Her father and brother had been killed in the Battle of Nahrawan, and she was fired with the desire to avenge their death. She agreed to marry Abdur Rahman if he could present to her the head of Ali as her dower.

As he was already committed to the assassination of Ali he readily accepted the condition laid down by his beloved. At the instance of Qataum, two more Kharijites joined with Abdur Rahman in the conspiracy to assassinate Ali. One of them was Werdan, who was related to Qataum. The other was Shaubib ibn Bijrah who belonged to the tribe of Anjah.

On the Friday morning of the seventeenth day of the month of Ramadan, the three conspirators went to the main mosque of Kufa just before the break of dawn. Here they took up their position in the narrow passage leading to the prayer hall. A little later Ali came, the mosque when it was still dark and there was no one else in the mosque. When Ali stood to pray, Werdan struck at Ali, but missed his mark. Then Abdur Rahman struck Ali on the forehead with this poisoned sword which penetrated on the brain through the scar of an old wound. Thereafter the assassins fled from the mosque.

When the faithful assembled in the mosque for prayers they found Ali lying wounded on the prayer mat. A hunt for the assassins was made. Werdan resisted being taken captive and was killed. Abdur Rahman was apprehended and taken into custody. The third conspirator escaped from Kufa. Abdur Rahman confessed his guilt. He said that he had struck his blow at Ali in the name of God for he considered that in seeking power, Ali had sinned and was guilty of killing thousands of innocent people.

Ali cursed Abdur Rahman for his misguided views. He, however, instructed his men that the assassin should be kept in custody and should not be subjected to any hardship. He observed that if he recovered from the wound, he would himself decide what punishment should be awarded to him. If he died the assassin was to lose his life. He was, however, to be killed in one stroke, and was neither to be mutilated nor made to suffer languishing death.

The wounds of Ali proved to be fatal. No antidote could be found to counter affect the poison that had penetrated into the body of Ali. The condition of Ali steadily deteriorated and he breathed his last on the 24th of January 661 C.E. From God he came and to God he returned.

One Final word
Before we end that story we have here to understand two things :
1- Prophet Muhammad, Peace and blessings be upon him, had already told us about this dispute long before it took place for it is reported by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported Allah's Messenger, may peace be upon him, as saying: There would be two groups in my Ummah, and there would emerge another group (seceding itself from both of them), and the party nearer to the truth among the two would kill them (the group of the Khwarij). (Translation of Sahih Muslim, Book 005, Number 2326)

This Hadith is considered one of the proofs that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is indeed a messenger from Allah. It explains part of the dispute between Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, and Muawya, may Allah be pleased with him, and explains the story of the Khawarej who emerged from the group of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, and were killed by Imam Ali’s group. This Hadith also states that the group who is closer to the truth is the group of Imam Ali, may Allah be pleased with him.

2- Prophet Muhammad, Peace and blessings be upon him, considered both groups (Muawya and Ali’s )to from his Ummah (i.e. Nation) which means that both groups were right but the group of Imam Ali was closer to the truth. This means that it is totally wrong and not acceptable to consider one party as a disbeliever.

Imam Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was right and Hadrat Muawya, may Allah be pleased with him was right but the closest to the truth was Imam Ali, may Allah be pleased with him.

Also we have to remember the hadith Narrated 'Amr bin Al-'As: That he heard Allah's Apostle saying, "If a judge gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is correct (i.e. agrees with Allah and His Apostle's verdict) he will receive a double reward, and if he gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is wrong, (i.e. against that of Allah and His Apostle) even then he will get a reward ." (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 92, Number 450)

Imam Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was right, soby Allah’s will he will have a double reward but Muawya, may Allah be pleased with him, judged to the best of his knowledge and will be rewarded for his effort by Allah’s will. As for us we hve nothing but love and respect for both sides.

Will of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him
Before his death, Ali made his will in the following terms:
"I declare in my will that except for God there is none who deserves to be worshipped. He is unique. He has no partner. Muhammad, peace be on him, is His Prophet and Messenger whom [i.e. commissioned to give the people guidance through the religion Islam. Islam is the most perfect religion and it is destined to prevail over all other faiths. All our prayers, our sacrifices, our life, our death, our everything is for God.

I require all my children and family members to fear God. I wish that all of you should die in Islam. Hold fast to the faith of Islam. Remain united, for according to the Holy Prophet unity in ranks is better than prayers.

Be kind to your relatives so that Allah may be kind to you. Remain steadfast in piety and resign yourself to the will of God. Never aspire to do anything which is beyond your reach. Be truthful always. Be kind to the orphans, and in their affairs fear God. Do not wait for their seeking your help. See that in your presence they should not be overcome by any care or anxiety.

Be afraid of God in respect of the rights of your neighbors over you. The Holy Prophet always willed for the right of the neighbors indeed to such an extent that we were afraid lest the neighbors be declared as heirs.

Follow the Quran in letter and spirit, and see that nobody takes precedence over you in the matter of the observance of the injunctions of the Holy Quran.

In the matter of prayers be very particular for it is the basic pillar of Islam. As long as you are alive do not miss your prayers.

Undertake Jihad with your life and property.

Fear Allah in the matter of Zakat for it extinguishes the wrath of God.

Fear God in respect of your regard for the companions of the Holy Prophet for the Holy Prophet made particular mention of them in his will.

Be afraid of God in the matter of the poor and the needy. Make them share your wealth. Your slaves have rights on you. Fulfill your obligations.

Those who disparage your religion, do not be afraid of them. If they wish to harm you, Allah will be enough to protect you. Try to live in the world in a way which may help it become better.

Stop the tyrant from his oppression. Act upon the commandments of God. Face the realities of life with courage and fortitude. Do not be ruffled by the obstacles that stand in your way. Help each other in the doing of good. Do not help those who rebel or do mischief. May God be merciful to all who belong to the House of the Holy Prophet! I entrust you to the protection of God".

Sayings of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him
Ali was an embodiment of knowledge and wisdom. Some of the sayings of Ali that breathe wisdom and have attained the dimensions of aphorisms are on record. Some of these are quoted hereunder:

• Fear God and you will have no cause to fear any one.

• Resignation to the Will of God is the cure of the disease of the heart.

• The word of God is the medicine of the heart.

• Lead such a life, that, when you die, the people may mourn you, and while you are alive they long for your company.

• The days of life pass away like clouds, so do good while you are alive.

• Of all the follies the greatest is to love the world.

• Opportunity is swift of flight but slow to return.

• Pride, cowardice, and miserliness are bad for me but good for women.

• The most happy is he to whom God has given a good wife.

• He who knows himself knows God.

• Do not soil your conscience for anything but heaven

• The disease of the heart is worse than the disease of the body.

• To fight against one's desires is the greatest of all fights.

• The strongest amongst you is he who subdues his self.

• Wealth and greed are the roots of all evils.

• Riches without faith are the greatest poverty.

• A man's worth depends upon the nobility of his aspirations.

• Knowledge enlivens the soul.

• The learned lives, although he dies.

• The sum total of excellence is knowledge.

• To respect the learned is to respect God.

• Generosity hides shortcomings.

• The wealth of a miser is as useless as a pebble.

• Desire is one's most inveterate enemy.

• Those who walk on the surface of the earth shall one day be interred in it.

• Every breath of man brings him nearer to death.

• People are asleep as long as they are alive, they are awakened when they die.

• Patience is the fruit of faith.

• Virtue never dies.

Sources
	The book : History of the Guided Caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them) By: Ministry of Al-Awkaf, Arab Republic of Egypt
	The web site Anwary-Islam

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