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"You [Alee] are my brother in this world and the next." (Hadith)
Alee's Election
After Uthmân's martyrdom, the office of the Caliphate remained unfilled for two
or three days. Many people insisted that Alee should take up the office, but he
was embarrassed by the fact that the people who pressed him hardest were the
rebels, and he therefore declined at first. When the notable Companions of the
Prophet (peace be on him) urged him, however, he finally agreed.
Alee's Life
Alee bin Abi TAleeb was the first cousin of the Prophet (peace be on him). More
than that, he had grown up in the Prophet's own household, later married his
youngest daughter, Fatima, and remained in closest association with him for
nearly thirty years.
Alee was ten years old when the Divine Message came to Muhammad (peace be on him).
One night he saw the Prophet and his wife Khadijah bowing and prostrating. He
asked the Prophet about the meaning of their actions. The Prophet told him that
they were praying to God Most High and that Alee too should accept Islam. Alee
said that he would first like to ask his father about it. He spent a sleepless
night, and in the morning he went to the Prophet and said, "When God created me
He did not consult my father, so why should I consult my father in order to
serve God?" and he accepted the truth of Muhammad's message.
When the Divine command came, "And warn thy nearest relatives" (26:214),
Muhammad (peace be on him) invited his relatives for a meal. After it was
finished, he addressed them and asked, "Who will join me in the cause of God?"
There was utter silence for a while, and then Alee stood up. "I am the youngest
of all present here," he said, "My eyes trouble me because they are sore and my
legs are thin and weak, but I shall join you and help you in whatever way I can."
The assembly broke up in derisive laughter. But during the difficult wars in
Mecca, Alee stood by these words and faced all the hardships to which the
Muslims were subjected. He slept in the bed of the Prophet when the Quraish
planned to murder Muhammad. It was he to whom the Prophet entrusted, when he
left Mecca, the valuables which had been given to him for safekeeping, to be
returned to their owners.
Apart from the expedition of Tabuk, Alee fought in all the early battles of
Islam with great distinction, particularly in the expedition of Khaybar. It is
said that in the Battle of Uhud he received more than sixteen wounds.
The Prophet (peace be on him) loved Alee dearly and called him by many fond
names. Once the Prophet found him sleeping in the dust. He brushed off Alee's
clothes and said fondly, "Wake up, Abu Turab (Father of Dust)." The Prophet also
gave him the title of 'Asadullah' ('Lion of Allah').
Alee's humility, austerity, piety, deep knowledge of the Qur'an and his sagacity
gave him great distinction among the Prophet's Companions. Abu Bakr, 'Umar and
Uthmân consulted him frequently during their Caliphates. Many times 'Umar had
made him his vice-regent at Medina when he was away. Alee was also a great
scholar of Arabic literature and pioneered in the field of grammar and rhetoric.
His speeches, sermons and letters served for generations afterward as models of
literary expression. Many of his wise and epigrammatic sayings have been
preserved. Alee thus had a rich and versatile personality. In spite of these
attainments he remained a modest and humble man. Once during his caliphate when
he was going about the marketplace, a man stood up in respect and followed him.
"Do not do it," said Alee. "Such manners are a temptation for a ruler and a
disgrace for the ruled."
Alee and his household lived extremely simple and austere lives. Sometimes they
even went hungry themselves because of Ali's great generosity, and none who
asked for help was ever turned away from his door. His plain, austere style of
living did not change even when he was ruler over a vast domain.
Alee's Caliphate
As mentioned previously, Alee accepted the caliphate very reluctantly. Uthmân's
murder and the events surrounding it were a symptom, and also became a cause, of
civil strife on a large scale. Alee felt that the tragic situation was mainly
due to inept governors. He therefore dismissed all the governors who had been
appointed by Uthmân and appointed new ones. All the governors excepting Muawiya,
the governor of Syria, submitted to his orders. Muawiya declined to obey until
Uthmân's blood was avenged. The Prophet's widow 'Aaishah also took the position
that Alee should first bring the murderers to trial. Due to the chaotic
conditions during the last days of Uthmân it was very difficult to establish the
identity of the murderers, and Alee refused to punish anyone whose guilt was not
lawfully proved. Thus a battle between the army of Alee and the supporters of 'Aaishah
took place. 'Aaishah later realized her error of judgment and never forgave
herself for it.
The situation in Hijaz (the part of Arabia in which Mecca and Medina are located)
became so troubled that Alee moved his capital to Iraq. Muawiya now openly
rebelled against Alee and a fierce battle was fought between their armies. This
battle was inconclusive, and Alee had to accept the de facto government of
Muawiya in Syria.
However, even though the era of Ali's caliphate was marred by civil strife, he
nevertheless introduced a number of reforms, particularly in the levying and
collecting of revenues.
It was the fortieth year of Hijra. A fanatical group called Kharijites,
consisting of people who had broken away from Alee due to his compromise with
Muawiya, claimed that neither Alee, the Caliph, nor Muawiya, the ruler of Syria,
nor Amr bin al-Aas, the ruler of Egypt, 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, but Ibn-e-Muljim, the assassin who was commissioned to
kill Alee, accomplished his task. One morning when Alee was absorbed in prayer
in a mosque, Ibn-e-Muljim stabbed him with a poisoned sword. On the 20th of
Ramadan, 40 A.H., died the last of the Rightly Guided Caliphs of Islam. May God
Most High be pleased with them and grant to them His eternal reward.
Conclusion
With the death of Alee, the first and most notable phase in the history of
Muslim peoples came to an end. All through this period it had been the Book of
God and the practices of His Messenger - that is, the Qur'an and the Sunnah -
which had guided the leaders and the led, set the standards of their moral
conduct and inspired their actions. It was the time when the ruler and the ruled,
the rich and the poor, the powerful and the weak, were uniformly subject to the
Divine Law. It was an epoch of freedom and equality, of God-consciousness and
humility, of social justice which recognized no privileges, and of an impartial
law which accepted no pressure groups or vested interests.
After Alee, Muawiya assumed the caliphate and thereafter the caliphate became
hereditary, passing from one king to another.