Assassination of Ali

Assassination of Ali

A calligraphic representation of Ali
Location Kufa, Rashidun Caliphate (present day Iraq)
Coordinates 32°01′43″N 44°24′03″E / 32.02861°N 44.40083°E / 32.02861; 44.40083Coordinates: 32°01′43″N 44°24′03″E / 32.02861°N 44.40083°E / 32.02861; 44.40083
Date January 26, 661 (661-01-26)
Target Ali
Weapons Sword
Deaths Ali
Perpetrator Ibn Muljam

The fourth Rashidun caliph Ali was assassinated by a Khawarij called Ibn Muljam on 26 January 661 at the Great Mosque of Kufa , in present day Iraq. Ali succumbed to his injuries and died two days later on the 21 Ramadan 40 AH (28 January 661 CE). He was the third successive caliph, after Umar and Uthman, to be assassinated.

Events leading to his assassination can be traced back to Muhammad's death. The Sunnis believed that anyone could succeed Muhammad as the caliph of the Islamic community. The Shiites differed; they believed that only Muhammed's descendants could succeed him as the leader of the community and hence supported Ali's claims to the post. Ali gained the post after the death of Uthman in 656. However he faced opposition from the Umayyad governor Muawiyah I. A group called Khawarij who had initially supported Ali's claims to the post turned against him for his failure at the Battle of Siffin. They revolted, but they were crushed by Ali's forces at the Battle of Nahrawan.

Ibn Muljam, a Khawarij fell in love with a girl whose brother and father died at Nahrawan. She agreed to marry him if only he could kill Ali. Consequently Ali was stabbed by Ibn Muljam at the Great Mosque of Kufa after reciting verses from the Quran.

Background

After the death of Muhammad, the division between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose over a disagreement about who would succeed him, (considered the last prophet in the Islamic tradition) as the head of the Muslim community. Sunnis believed that anyone could succeed Muhammad, (till he had the support of the Islamic community) while the Shias (derived from Shiat al-Ali ; the partisans of Ali) believed that only genealogical descendants of the prophet could succeed him. Abu Bakr (one of the ashra mubashira ; the ten companions of Muhammad who was promised paradise by him) was elected as the first caliph after the death of Muhammed. He was succeeded by Umar, who was murdered in 644. After Umar's death, Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammed,[1] and Uthman were contenders for the post. Due to the decision of Abdur Rahman bin Awf, a sahaba (companion of the prophet Muhammad) Uthman succeeded Umar as the third caliph. Uthman failed to control the large and growing Islamic empire, and was assassinated by mutinous armies in 656.[2]

Though Ali was selected as the fourth Rashidun (the "rightly guided") caliph five days after Uthman's death, the Umayyad governor of Syria, Muawiyah I, refused to pledge allegiance to him as the new caliph until the killers of Uthman were punished.[2] Ali faced opposition during his rule. He first emerged victorious at the Battle of Camel in 656, against an army primarily led by Muhammad's wife Aisha and other sahaba who believed Ali had to do more to punish the killers of Uthman, including those suspected of finding cover behind his forces. He also fought the Battle of Siffin in 657 against Muawiyah I. The battle ended in a stalemate with Ali entering into negotiations with Muawiyah.[3] A group calledKhawarij who had initially supported Ali's claims to be caliph, turned against him for his failure to emerge victorious at Siffin. In 658 they revolted, but Ali defeated them at the Battle of Nahrawan.[4] The group argued that Quranic teachings ask people to bring rebels under obedience by violence.[5]

Attack and death

Ali was praying at the Great Mosque of Kufa when he was assassinated.

Ali was killed by Ibn Muljam, a Kharijite from Egypt,[6] at the Great Mosque of Kufa on 26 January 661. Ibn Muljam had met a woman named Quttaam from the Ar-Raabab tribe before the assassination. According to cleric Ali al-Sallabi, on seeing Quttaam, he "lost his senses" and "forgot the assignment" for which he was roaming, and proposed to her. Quttaam said that she would marry him if he could "heal" her by giving her three thousand deenars, a chanteuse, a male slave and the death of Ali. Quttaam wanted revenge too as her father and brother had been killed by Ali's forces at Al-Nahrawan. Ibn Muljam persuaded a man called Shubayb to assist him in killing Ali.[7]

On Friday, 17 Ramadan, Ali entered Kufa mosque to perform the morning prayer.[6] Ibn Muljam, who was present in the front row of the worshipers, struck Ali with a poisoned sword on the back of his neck.[8] The attack took place after Ali had recited verses from the Sura al-Anbiya as part of the worship.[4] Ali ordered that if he died from the wound, Ibn Muljam had to be executed in retaliation. Otherwise, if he survived, he would decide on how to treat him. Ali died two days later on 28 January 661 and Ibn Muljam was killed in accordance to Ali's instruction.[6] Some sources claim Ali was buried at the Imam Ali Mosque at Najaf in present day Iraq,[9] while others, usually Afghans,[10] say he was buried at the Rawze-e-Sharif in the Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif.[11]

Aftermath

After Ali's death, the Shias of Iraq declared Ali's eldest son Hasan ibn Ali the successor to Ali, thus proclaiming him as their new caliph. However, Hasan was not interested in becoming caliph, and to prevent further bloodshed, he signed the Hasan–Muawiya treaty and abdicated in favor of Muawiyah, who became the first caliph of the Umayyad caliphate. Muawiyah died in Medina at the age of forty-five in 669, and was succeeded by Yazid I in 61 AH (680 CE) but Hasan's brother Husayn ibn Ali refused to accept Yazid's leadership. After being invited by the Shiites of Iraq in the same year, Husayn started his march to Iraq. However during their stay at Karbala, his army was massacred by Yazid at the Battle of Karbala on 10 Muharram (10 October).[12] Shiites mourn the anniversary of Hasayn's defeat.

Notes

  1. ↑ Biographies of the Prophet's companions and their successors, Ṭabarī, translated by Ella Landau-Tasseron, pp.37–40, Vol:XXXIX
  2. 1 2 Hann 2015, p. 19.
  3. ↑ Cook 2007, p. 53.
  4. 1 2 Cook 2007, p. 54.
  5. ↑ Richard F. Nyrop. Area Handbook for the Persian Gulf States. Wildside Press. p. 45. ISBN 9781434462107.
  6. 1 2 3 Madelung, Wilferd (1997). The succession to Muhammad : a study of the early Caliphate (1. paparback ed. ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521561817. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  7. ↑ Ali al-Sallabi. Biography of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Darussalam Publishers. p. 79.
  8. ↑ I. M. N. Al-Jubouri. Islamic Thought: From Mohammed to September 11, 2001. Xlibris Corporation. p. 74. ISBN 9781453595855.
  9. ↑ Reza Shah-Kazemi. Ali ibn Abu Talib Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-415-96691-7.
  10. ↑ "Silk Road Seattle - Balkh".
  11. ↑ "Rowze-i Sharif". Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  12. ↑ Moosa 1987, p. 387.

References

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