Imam 'Ali (a): Difference between revisions

Ali b. Abi Talib was born in the year 30 of 'Am al-Fil/600<ref>Al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 452.</ref> (23 years before the hijra) in [[Mecca]], inside the [[Ka'ba]].<ref>Al-Irshād, vol. 1, p. 5; *The Lives of the Infallibles*, vol. 3, p. 4.</ref> He grew up in the house of [[Prophet Muhammad (s)]]<ref>*The Intellectual and Political Life of the Shia Imams*, p. 48.</ref> and is considered the first male convert to Islam.<ref>Al-Irshād, vol. 1, p. 6.</ref> Imam 'Ali was the husband of [[Lady Fatima (s)]]<ref>Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, vol. 8, p. 16; *The Intellectual and Political Life of the Shia Imams*, p. 49.</ref> and father of  [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]], [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]], [[Lady Zaynab]], and [[al-'Abbas b. 'Ali]].<ref>*Encyclopedia of the Commander of the Faithful based on the Qur'an, Hadith, and History*, vol. 1, pp. 126, 185.</ref>

In the 40th year after hijra/661, during morning prayer in the [[Kufa Mosque]], he was fatally struck by [[Ibn Muljam al-Muradi]], one of the Khawarij from Nahrawan, and was martyred three days later.<ref>Al-Irshād, vol. 1, p. 9; Al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 452.</ref>

Shia Muslims believe that the Prophet's (s) successor must be divinely appointed, and that Prophet Muhammad (s), by God's command, appointed 'Ali b. Abi Talib as his caliph and leader of the Muslim community.<ref>*Firaq al-Shi'a*, p. 17; *Encyclopedia of the Commander of the Faithful based on the Qur'an, Hadith, and History*, vol. 1, pp. 492–536; *Manṣhūr-i 'Aqā'id-i Imāmīyyah*, pp. 149, 151.</ref> Despite this, Imam 'Ali remained away from political leadership for 25 years during the rule of the first three caliphs. After the assassination of [['Uthmān b. 'Affān]], the third caliph, people pledged allegiance to him<ref>*Encyclopedia of the Commander of the Faithful*, vol. 3, p. 449.</ref> in the year 35/656.<ref>*Siyāsat-nāma-yi Imām 'Alī*, p. 23.</ref> He then assumed the caliphate<ref>*A Brief Biography of the Imams*, p. 5.</ref> and during his nearly five-year rule, he modeled his governance on that of the Prophet (s) and enacted significant reforms.<ref>*A Brief Biography of the Imams*, p. 5.</ref>

The Prophet, who counted Imam 'Ali among his closest companions<ref>*A Brief Biography of the Imams*, pp. 4–5.</ref>, spoke highly of his virtues.<ref>*Encyclopedia of the Commander of the Faithful*, vol. 1, pp. 435–457; *Encyclopedia of Imam 'Ali b. Abi Talib*, vol. 1, pp. 61, 69, 72.</ref> It is reported that the Prophet said: “Ali will never be separated from the truth, and the truth will never be separated from 'Ali.”<ref>*A Brief Biography of the Imams*, p. 5.</ref> Imam 'Ali participated in all of the Prophet's battles, except for the Battle of Tabuk, when the Prophet appointed him as his deputy in Medina.<ref>*A Brief Biography of the Imams*, p. 5.</ref> He is regarded as the perfect embodiment of the Prophet's spiritual training<ref>*A Brief Biography of the Imams*, p. 6.</ref> and as a unique exemplar of piety and devotion.<ref>*A Brief Biography of the Imams*, p. 8.</ref>

==Imam 'Ali's Performance of Hajj

Imam 'Ali (a) performed hajj several times during the Prophet's (s) life, though the number of pilgrimages after that is unclear.<ref>"Strategies of the Imams (a) during Hajj", p. 69.</ref> According to historical sources, he accompanied the Prophet on the [['Umrat al-Qaḍā]], a compensatory 'umra made in 7 AH when the Prophet and a group of Muslims entered [[Mecca]] to perform the rituals.<ref>Ansāb al-Ashrāf, vol. 1, p. 353; Tafsir al-Namūnah, vol. 22, p. 107.</ref>

In the ninth year after hijra, the Prophet tasked Imam 'Ali with publicly reciting the [[verses of disassociation]] at Hajj.<ref>Al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah, b. Hishām, vol. 4, pp. 970–973; 'Ilal al-Sharā'i', vol. 1, p. 190; Al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah, b. Kathīr, vol. 4, pp. 68–69.</ref> This act is considered one of his virtues.<ref>"Strategies of the Imams (a) during Hajj", p. 70.</ref> Notable practices of Imam 'Ali during hajj included abstaining from hunting, using the [[sacrificial offering]], performing [[ritual washing]] upon entering the sacred precinct, and combining the Maghrib and 'Ishā prayers in [[Muzdalifah]].<ref>*Ḥajj of the Prophets and Imams (a)*, pp. 233–236.</ref>

He also participated in the [[Farewell Pilgrimage]] of the Prophet (s)<ref>Tārīkh-i Ya'qūbī, vol. 2, p. 109; Al-Kāfī, vol. 4, pp. 247–248; Al-Tahdhīb, vol. 5, p. 227.</ref>, during the return from which the Prophet declared him his successor at [[Ghadir Khumm]].<ref>Al-Irshād, vol. 1, pp. 170–176; *Life of the Commander of the Faithful Imam 'Ali*, p. 43.</ref>

It is said that due to the three civil wars (Jamāl, Ṣiffīn, and Nahrawān), Imam 'Ali was unable to perform hajj during his caliphate<ref>Tārīkh al-Khamīs, vol. 2, p. 278; "Strategies of the Imams (a) during Hajj", p. 69.</ref> and did not personally lead the pilgrimage. Instead, in 36 and 37 AH, he appointed 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas, and in 38 and 39 AH, his agent over Mecca, Qutham b. 'Abbas, to lead the Hajj.<ref>"Amīr al-Ḥajj", vol. 3, p. 84.</ref> It is also narrated that during his rule, the [[Kiswah]] (Ka'ba's cloth covering) was sent from Iraq.<ref>"The Commander of the Faithful and Sending the Kiswah", p. 202; "Strategies of the Imams (a) during Hajj", p. 73.</ref>

 

 

 

 

In his will to [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]] and [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]], he emphasized visiting the Ka'ba and not abandoning it, warning that its abandonment would bring divine wrath.<ref>*Message of Imam 'Ali (a)*, vol. 10, p. 278.</ref> In a letter to the governor of Mecca, he ordered the provision of cultural and welfare needs for pilgrims, especially ensuring they were housed free of charge and welcomed kindly.<ref>"hajj in Nahj al-Balāghah", p. 8.</ref>