100%
1. A short life history
| Point | Fact |
|---|---|
| Father | Abu Talib, one of the brothers of the Prophet's ﷺ father |
| Upbringing | Grew up in the care of the Prophet ﷺ from early childhood |
| Accepting Islam | A boy of ten when prophethood was given to the Prophet; accepted Islam at once, without any hesitation → the first boy to enter Islam |
| Title | "Asadullah" (أسد الله) – the Lion of Allah – praise given by the Prophet ﷺ |
| Martyrdom | Ramadan, 40 AH – after an attack by 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muljam, a Khariji |
2. His personal qualities
- From childhood he excelled in bravery, wisdom and strength of personality.
- Because he lived with the Prophet, he took part from the very beginning in Islamic work and social work.
Courage – the night of the hijrah
- At the time of the hijrah to Madinah, a large number of Qurayshi disbelievers surrounded the house, determined to kill the Prophet.
- Even at this dangerous moment – when the Quraysh might burst in at any time, attack together and cut him to pieces – he slept in the Prophet's bed in his place.
- This is the best example of his courage.
Bravery
- An excellent horseman, and very strong.
- He took part in all the battles fought to protect Islam and the Muslims, and showed astonishing ability.
- He was unique in accepting the challenge of any enemy, however strong, and going forward to attack → "Asadullah" (the Lion of Allah).
Knowledge and justice
- He excelled in knowledge and spent his wisdom and insight for Islam.
- He also served as a judge who gave excellent religious rulings.
- He was a leading member of the advisory councils of all the caliphs before him.
Note: The title "Asadullah" (Lion of Allah) is best known in the sources as a title of Hamzah (RA); 'Ali (RA) is also praised as a lion in some reports. Learn the textbook's wording for the exam and confirm with your teacher.
3. The background to his taking up the caliphate
- The circumstances of 'Ali's (RA) selection were completely different from those of the three before him.
| The first three caliphs | 'Ali (RA) |
|---|---|
| Chosen according to Islamic political principles, with the people's consultation and full approval | In that society he was the most suitable person; but there was no suitable situation for the people of knowledge to gather or consult |
The situation
- A crowd from the outer provinces, made up of different elements – new converts to Islam, uneducated people, and people who did not understand the reality – had gathered in the capital.
- Having killed the caliph ('Uthman RA) in a revolt, they held Madinah under their control at sword-point.
- Protecting the Islamic caliphate and bringing the world back to normal was both necessary and urgent.
- The trouble-makers pressed one of 'Ali, Talhah, az-Zubayr, 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas (RA) to take responsibility; none of them came forward.
- Finally they forced 'Ali (RA), warning that if he did not accept, they would put all the people of Madinah to the sword.
'Ali's (RA) position
"You do not have the right to choose the caliph. Only if the leading figures who have the community's recognition agree can I take up the caliphate."
- The crowd gathered the leading figures at sword-point and obtained their consent; only then did he take office.
Removing governors, and the wars
- To bring the administration under control in that chaotic situation, he planned to remove some of the provincial governors.
- Al-Hasan and al-Mughirah (RA) advised him to be flexible; but the caliph stayed firm in his decision.
- This grew very quickly and led to sorrowful events that cannot be forgotten in Muslim history:
| Three battles among Muslims |
|---|
| The Battle of the Camel (Jamal) |
| The Battle of Siffin |
| The Battle of Nahrawan |
4. His services and work
In the time of the earlier caliphs
| Caliph | 'Ali's (RA) responsibility |
|---|---|
| Abu Bakr (RA) | Distributing the funds of the Bayt al-Mal |
| 'Umar (RA) | The judicial service |
| 'Uthman (RA) | A chief adviser in the administration |
| In the councils of all of them | Senior adviser |
In his own caliphate
- Because his rule was full of challenges, he had no chance to carry out large projects; still, he took many urgent measures to organise the administration and protect the stability of the caliphate:
- Removing some governors who had earned the people's dissatisfaction.
- Delaying the measures concerning the killing of 'Uthman (RA) until political stability came, for the safety of the people and of the caliphate.
- Controlling the outrages of the Khawarij, who misunderstood Islam and engaged in extremist acts.
- Developing the city of Kufa, his seat of government.
- Measures for urban development and cultural improvement.
- Reorganising the police department.
- Separate halls for judicial hearings.
- Shelters for neglected livestock.
- Building prisons.
- Schools for teaching Arabic grammar and fiqh.
- Through the famous grammarian Abu al-Aswad ad-Du'ali, vowel marks (harakat) were added to the letters of the Quran.
5. His martyrdom
- Having carried out many services in a short time, 'Ali (RA) was attacked by 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muljam, a Khariji, in Ramadan, 40 AH, and was martyred.
6. The four caliphs – comparison
| Caliph | Born | Caliphate | Died | How | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Bakr | 573 CE | 11 AH | 13 AH (aged 63) | Natural death | As-Siddiq |
| 'Umar | 580s CE | 13 AH | 23 AH | Abu Lu'lu'ah (a Magian) | — |
| 'Uthman | 576 CE | After 23 AH | 35 AH (aged 82) | Rebels | Dhun-Nurayn, Jami' al-Quran |
| 'Ali | — | After 35 AH | Ramadan, 40 AH | Ibn Muljam (a Khariji) | Asadullah |
Quick revision
- Son of Abu Talib; grew up in the Prophet's care; accepted Islam at 10 – the first boy.
- Courage of sleeping in the Prophet's bed on the night of the hijrah; "Asadullah".
- Took office under pressure while rebels controlled Madinah at sword-point; "I will accept only if the leading figures agree".
- Al-Hasan and al-Mughirah – advice to be flexible; the battles of Jamal, Siffin and Nahrawan.
- Under the earlier caliphs: distributing the Bayt al-Mal (Abu Bakr), justice ('Umar), adviser ('Uthman).
- Services: developing Kufa, reorganising the police, judicial halls, prisons, schools; Abu al-Aswad ad-Du'ali – vowel marks for the Quran.
- Ramadan, 40 AH – Ibn Muljam (a Khariji).