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 Ali
was the fourth rightly guided Caliph.
He followed in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad, Abu Bakr, Omar, and Uthman,
and ruled the Muslim Empire, according to the divinely revealed law of God,
from approximately 656 to 661 CE. Ali was the young cousin and son in law of
Prophet Muhammad. He spent his childhood emulating the noble character of his
beloved cousin, and his youth learning the details of Islam. Ali grew into a
noble warrior; physically strong and assertive but with a humble heart, filled
with love for God and His messenger Muhammad. Muslims remember Ali for his
courage, his honesty, his generous and kind behaviour towards others, and his
unswerving devotion to Islam.
After the migration to Medina, Ali married his childhood
companion Fatima, daughter of Prophet Muhammad. The young couple led a simple
and austere life, for Ali did not care for material wealth, rather he was
focused on pleasing God and attaining everlasting life in the hereafter. They
had no servants or slaves. Ali drew and carried water and Fatima would grind
the corn until her hands were rough and sore. Once when the young couple approached
Prophet Muhammad asking for a servant he rebuked them by saying that he could
not give them such luxuries when hungry poor people filled the mosque. Ali and
Fatima returned home feeling quite dejected.
That evening Prophet Muhammad visited Ali and Fatima in
their home. He sat on the edge of their bed and taught them words of
remembrance with which to praise God. He assured them that remembering God
would be more beneficial for them than a servant or slave to ease their
workload. Ali never forgot the words of advice given to him that night, later
in his life he said that not a night passed that he did not recite those words
before sleeping. Ali and his family went to great lengths to please God, often
they would go hungry themselves giving away all their food to people poorer
than themselves. Ali’s generosity new no bounds, he treated everyone, friend
or foe, with respect and kindness.
Imam (Scholar) Ahmad described Ali as one of the most
virtuous of Prophet Muhammad’s companions and Ali was known to be amongst the
Prophet’s most staunch supporters. Ali deservedly became known as a strong
warrior and he distinguished himself in the crucial first battle against the
unbelieving men of Mecca, known as the Battle of Badr. The young lion of God
participated in all the battles fought in the early days of Islam except on one
occasion. It is reported in the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad that during
the battle of Khaybar Prophet Muhammad bestowed a great honour on his young
cousin.
Prophet Muhammad informed his companions “tomorrow I
shall give the standard (flag) to a man who loves God and His Messenger and is
also loved by God and His Messenger, he does not flee the battlefield, and God
will bring about victory through him”. The companions of Prophet Muhammad
spent the night wondering who the flag would be handed too. Omar Ibn Al Khattab
is believed to have said that it was the only time he longed for leadership,
but this particular honour belonged to Ali.
After Uthman Ibn Affan was murdered in the service of
the Muslim nation, Ali was chosen as the fourth of those known as the rightly
guided Caliphs. Many Muslims were eager for Ali to take on leadership but Ali
was concerned that already the seeds of rebelliousness were being sewn among the
believers. He hesitated until some of the companions who had been closest to Prophet
Muhammad urged him on and gave him their support. The events surrounding
Uthman’s murder had flung the young Muslim nation into a period that became
known as the “time of tribulation”. Ali began and ended his Caliphate in times
of trial and tribulation however; he remained true to his convictions and ruled
in a manner that befitted the child who learned his morals and values at the
feet of the Prophet Muhammad.
Ali was a profoundly religious man; he was devoted to
Islam and strove in his daily life and his position as leader to uphold the
Quran and the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad. War broke out amongst
the Muslims and Ali found himself attempting to lead a nation beset with
rebellion and in fighting. Throughout this time of civil strife and war, Ali
was ever mindful of the great task that lay before him. He was responsible for
the people of the Muslim nation.
At this point is must be clearly noted that Ali and
Uthman were brothers in Islam, both devoted too God, His messenger Muhammad and
the religion of Islam. Both ruled the Muslim nation with humble hearts, austerity,
and piety. However, their world was changing in dramatic ways and some of their
actions were difficult to understand then and now. However, in retrospect it
is clear that their love for Islam and desire for the hereafter for all the
believers was never in question Ali remained noble, courageous, and generous. Even
in perilous times, he forgave his enemies and wanted only unity for the Muslim
nation.
Ali was murdered with a poisoned arrow. The assassin,
who struck while Ali was praying in the mosque, brought to an end the life of
the lion of God and the era of the four rightly Guided Caliphs. Abu Bakr, Omar
Ibn al Khattab, Uthman Ibn Affan, and Ali Ibn Abu Talib were men of noble
statue and high moral fibre, they ruled with the Quran and the lessons taught
to them by Prophet Muhammad. Sadly, the world is unlikely to see men such as
these again before the end of days.
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