Ali ibn Abu Talib

(Also: Ali ibn Abi Talib)

Major figure in the history of Islam. Born c. 600, died 661. The fourth of the so-called Four Righteous Caliphs (al-khulafa al-rashidun).

As the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, Ali was one of the first to accept him as a true prophet of God. Ali later married Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad, with whom he had the sons Hassan and Husayn.

Ali was several times mentioned as a candidate for Caliph, but it was not until the death of Uthman ibn Affan in 656 that he achieved the Caliphate, being elected by the cizens of Mekkah (Mecca) and Madinah (Medina). His candidacy was challenged by, among others, Muawiyah ibn Abu Sufyan, who succeeded Ali as Caliph, from 661 to 680.

Ali died in 661, assassinated in Kufa by one of his political opponents. In Shia Muslim tradition, Ali and his sons in the marriage with Fatima are considered imams - true, infallible leaders of the Islamic community.

570 - 661

Ali ibn Abi Talib ibn Abd Manaf ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn Abd Manaf Abu al-Hasan al-Qurashi al-Hashimi.

ibn/bin = son of.

His mother was Fatima bint Asad, He is one of the first young Muslim to embrace Islam after Khadijah, The Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) wife. He became a martyr at age 58.

Ali was the cousin of the Prophet. Ali was born some thirty years after the birth of the Prophet. His father, Abu Talib, was the Prophet's real uncle. Fatima was the name of Ali's mother.

The prophet lost his father Abdul-Allah Ibn Abdul Al-Mutalib before he was born, He never saw him, He also lost his mother Amina at an early age and later his grandfather that took care of him for a brief period of time, Abdul-Muttalib Ibn Hashim. The only one that took care of Mohammed as a child and brought him up was his uncle, Abu-Talib, Ali's father.

Ali's love for the Prophet was unbounded. The night on which the Prophet left for Medina in the imigration, the prophet's house was surrounded by Quraishies. Drawn swords flashed all around. They were ready to cut to pieces the man who came out of the house. The 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 blood tie between Mohammed and Ali were strong and the prophet made it stronger when he gave his daughter Fatima to Ali for a wife. Ali was one of the ten men who got from the Prophet the good news of Paradise. That is, People who are promised by Allah to enter heaven.