Who is the ali in islam? Who is the fourth caliph? What is the short life of caliph ali? What did ali do as caliph?
The Period of Ali (May Allah Be Pleased With Him) (656-661)
Election of Ali as Caliph
The martyrdom of Uthman led the Muslim community to endless internal conflicts Chaos caused by the rebels continued even after the martyrdom of the caliph. Rebels who caused the martyrdom of the caliph had different preferences about whom should be the next caliph. Talha and Zubayr had refused their offer. Finally, they gathered the people of Medina and wanted them to elect Ali as caliph and to give their pledges to him as soon as possible. Upon this, everyone elected Ali as caliph and pledged him allegiance. But the people of Medina gave conditional pledges to Ali as caliph in 35/656.The first thing they wanted from the Caliph was to catch the killers of Uthman and to punish them.
The Incidents of The Period of Ali
Ali was one of the prominent companions who served Islam during the time of the Prophet and other three caliphs. He earned the respect and love of the Muslims with his knowledge and power. During his caliphate, which lasted five and a half years, he strived to overcome the internal and external disturbances with heart and soul. Because of the conflicts that took place during his caliphate, the boundaries of the Islamic State could not be expanded.
The Battle of the Camel
People were pressuring Ali to find the killers of Uthman and punish them as soon as possible. What is more, the rebels were still in control over Medina. Ali wanted the things to calm down, rebels to withdraw from Medina and to ensure the recognition of his caliphate in other regions. For those, he had to wait for a while. However, the troublemakers never stopped and always caused conflict in the society and targeted some companions. Medina was at the verge of an uprising and unrest among people was gradually increasing. As a result of the secret tricks of the hypocrites, the battle took place around Basra between the followers of the fourth caliph, commander of the believers Ali and Aisha in 36/656 was one of the most painful disasters in the history of Islam.
After the martyrdom of the third caliph Uthman, conflicts continued for a few days. Rebels who killed Uthman were in control of the society. They wanted to appoint a new caliph in place of Uthman as soon as possible. But they were rejected by whomever they asked to the new caliph. Ali also refused them when they came to him. Rebels were shocked and did not know what to do. They knew that if they turned back without the head of state being appointed, conflicts would flame up much more than before. Upon this, they gathered the people of Medina and told them to elect a caliph or otherwise they were going to kill Ali, Talha, Zubayr and some other people. They gave them one day to think about. Upon this, the people of Medina went to Ali and informed him that they wanted to give their pledges to him. Even though Ali did not want to accept this offer of Ansar and Muhajirs, he had to accept it when they continuously insisted. As a result, pledges were given to Ali, rebels brought Talha and Zubair there and made them give their pledges to Ali, too. And thus, pledges were given to Ali (656) on Monday 21, Dhulhijja in the thirty-fifth year of Hijraj.
The first thing planned to be done after the pledges were given to Ali was to find the killers of Uthman and to punish them. Investigations were immediately started for catch the culprits, but because the killers couldn’t be identified exactly, their crime could not be established according to the principles of Islamic law. This was why there was nothing to do in such a situation. Talha and Zubair visited Ali and wanted from him to capture the killers. Even though Ali explained them the situation, none of them was convinced. The atmosphere was highly intricate. Meanwhile Numan b. Bashir took the shirt that Uthman was wearing while being martyred and the severed fingers of his wife Naile and brought them to Damascus. Muawiyah showed the bloody shirt and severed fingers to the public and hung them to the mosque in order to provoke people. On the other hand, those who caused the murder of Uthman were still in Medina. They had to be thrown out of the city as soon as possible.
Challenges that Ali faced were very serious. An important part of the rebels who gathered in Medina adhered to the sect of sabaiyya. Abdullah b. Saba, the chief of this enemy group of Islam, was a Jewish convert aiming to destroy Islam from inside. His purpose was to corrupt the pure and clear tenets of Islam which satisfy both the heart and mind, to divide the Muslims into various groups and lead them to conflict and fight with each other. Disorder during the period of Uthman (r.a.) provide a suitable ground for this mischief-maker’s corruptions. The followers of Ibn Saba did not like Ali’s plans to disperse the rebels, so they did not follow his orders and other Arabs joined them.
A movement began in that chaotic atmosphere, which increased the problems and let the seriousness of depression reach to the highest level. Aisha had gone from Medina to Mecca to perform her hajj duty and on her way back to Medina she heard that Uthman was martyred. Upon that, she returned to Mecca instead of going to Medina. Because the disorder and instability caused by this disaster was continuing in Medina. When Meccans asked Aisha about the situation, she told that Uthman was martyred and the troublemakers and evil-minded people were everywhere in Medina; the blood of Uthman should not be wasted, killers should definitely be punished and the laws of Islam and retaliation should be implemented.
Talha and Zubair came to Mecca and explained Aisha the situation in Medina. These incidents strengthened her ideas and convictions. She invited everyone to gather and unite in order to get Uthman’s revenge.
When Ali heard about the preparations of his opponents in Mecca, he wanted to have the control of Iraq, to prevent his opponents to gain control over the treasury, and to arrive in Iraq before they did. Ansar did not find it appropriate for Ali to leave Medina. Ali was concerned about the emergence of new problems if the opponents enter Iraq before him. He said ansar that it would be better to be there for a while since the treasury was full and Iraq had a high population.
After that, Ali set out. When he reached to a place called Zukar, he learned that Talha and Zubair were approaching to Basra and with the tribe of Banu Sa‘d nearly all of Basra had joined them. Staying in Zukar, Ali sent her son Hasan to Kufa with Ammar b. Yasir. When Hasan reached Kufa, the governor Abu Musa al-Ash’ari welcomed him well. Hasan went up to pulpit in masjid and defended Ali’s case and told that Talha and Zubair gave their pledges to Ali. At the end of this speech he declared that he would go to Basra and those who want to join may come with him. Hasan returned with a force of nine thousand men who joined him. During these events and travelling, intense discussions and fights had taken place.
Ali moved from Zukar to Basra after reinforcing his army. Ali called El-Ka’ka‘ b. Amr who was a soldier in his army and sent him to Basra. He advised him to find the remedy that will prevent the struggle and conflict between the two sides from occurring. El-Ka’ka’ b. Amr talked to Aisha, Talha and Zubayr and convinced them not to break the unity of the Muslim society. Aisha, Talha and Zubayr accepted the proposals of el-Ka’ka’ and told that if Ali supported this idea, it would end with peace. Ali was deeply pleased with el-Ka’ka’s success. Meanwhile, Basran got in touch with Kufan people and the idea of peace and ending the disorder was started to be supported by everyone.
Next day, Ali moved and visited the tribe of the sons of Abdulqays. This tribe joined him, as well. From there he went to Zawiyah and then moved to Basra. As a matter of fact, everybody saw peace as a natural state. So Ali’s arrival to Basra was considered as a move towards achieving peace and everyone went to sleep relieved. While everybody was asleep, Ibn Saba and his followers attacked at Aisha’s followers. Each side thought that they were attacked by the other. Ali sent officers to each side. He wanted to understand what had happened. Meanwhile, Qa’b b. Sur awoken Aisha. Riding her camel, she came to the place where the fights had begun. Ali was keeping his side away from fighting and Aisha was trying to calm down her follower, but it was too late. Just at the most heated moments of the fight Ali came to the battleground riding his horse. He called Zubayr and reminded him that the Prophet had once said: “One day there will be a dispute between Ali and Zubayr and the latter will be the unfair one (in that dispute).” Thereupon, Zubayr withdrew, and Talha also wanted to withdraw from the battleground. When he was leaving the battleground, he was shot by a poisoned arrow which led to his death.
Eventually, only Aisha and a group of people around her remained in there. Clashes were violently going on. The very target of the hypocrites who caused all this bloodshed was Aisha herself. They wanted to reach Aisha so that they could arrest and insult her. Having noticed the intention of Sabais, the sons of Dabbagh protected Aisha with great sacrifices. The tribes of Bakr b. Wail, Azd and the sons of Dabbagh were supporting Aisha and the courage that they showed in protecting her amazed everyone. When one of those protecting Aisha’s camel fell, another one was taking his place and fighting with the same heroism and devotion. The number of those who were killed to protect Aisha eventually reached to seventy.
To put an end to these clashes, someone made Aisha fall by attacking her camel from his back. In the meantime, Muhammad, son of Abu Bakr, ran from Ali’s side and helped protecting Aisha. Ali also came to Aisha and asked about her health and well-being and sent her to Medina together with her brother Muhammad b. Abubakr after she rested for a few days. About 40 women who were from the members of the leading families of Basra accompanied to Aisha. As she was leaving Basra, Aisha explained that the struggle between Ali and herself resulted from a misunderstanding. And Ali also stated that it is a duty to show utmost respect and honor to the esteemed wife of the Prophet (pbuh). In 36 AH, Aisha moved to Medina in the month of Rajab.
Finally, on December 4th, 656, Ali overcame this problem as well. After this incident, he transferred the center of the caliphate to Kufa and lived there until his martyrdom.
The Fight Against Muawiyah
Muawiyah, the head of the Umayyad family, had a strong position in Syria and the surrounding area. He did not accept Ali’s caliphate and what is more, he was of the opinion that he was the one to take revenge of Uthman’s murder.
Wanting to try his chance against Ali, Muawiyah showed the shirt of martyred Uthman to people and asked them to support him. After a while, he began to consider himself strong enough to fight against Ali.
Most of the wise Muslims were of the opinion that Muawiyah’s this attitude revived the old rivalry between Umayyads and Hashemites. It was not in the name of Islam, rather based on the competition between lineages. However, they could do nothing to prevent it.
Muawiyah moved eastward with his army. Being aware of Muawiya’s intention, Ali also headed to the north in the spring of 657.
The Battle of Siffin War and The Incident of Arbitrator (657)
It is the war fought between the fourth Caliph Ali and the governor of Syria, Muawiyah b. Abi Sufyan who rebelled against him in a place called Siffin located in the east of Rakka which is near to the right banks of the Euphrates.
After Ali defeated the opposition group in the Battle of Camel, Muawiyah who ruled in Syria and his supporters were the only opponents left against the caliphate of Ali. Those who rebelled against Ali claimed that their aim was to take the revenge of Uthman’s death. On the other hand, they were accusing Ali for protecting the Uthman’s murderers and not punishing them. Whereas Ali had promised that he was going to punish the murderers after settling down the disorder and corruption in the society. After the Battle of Camel, Ali headed towards Kufa. He sent Jarir b. Abdullah al-Bajali to Muawiyah to inform him that muhajirs (emigrants) and ansar (helpers) gave their pledges to himself, and he asked him to give his pledges just like the emigrants and helpers and notify his obedience. Muawiyah distracted the attention of Jarir b. Abdullah who had come to him as an envoy and consulted to Amr b. As. Amr told him to insist on Uthman’s revenge that he demanded from Ali, and to advance on Ali with the Syrian army unless he accepts to punish the murderers immediately. Jarir b. Abdullah returned and informed Ali about the situation.
On the other hand, Uthman’s bloody shirt and the severed fingers of his wife Naila taken from Medina to Damascus were hung to the pulpit of the mosque by Muawiyah. Soldiers gathered around it and cried. Those who gathered there swore an oath that they would not sleep in their beds or wash themselves until they take Uthman’s revenge. Muawiyah paid high salaries and gratuities to Syrian army. Thus, he encouraged and provoked the army and set out from Damascus with an army of 85,000 men. Ali, on the other hand, headed towards Siffin from Kufa with an army of 90,000 people. Muawiyah had set up headquarters on the plain in the coastline of Euphrates. Ali and his soldiers spent the first night without water because Muawiyah’s soldiers had settled in the place between where Ali’s army set headquarters and the river. However, the troops of the Damascus army were removed from the riverbanks by an attack. Muawiyah whose army was left without water sent envoys to Ali and asked him for permission to take water from the river. Upon this, Ali did not prevent them from taking water from the river. Ali sent envoys to Muawiyah, inviting him to the Muslim community and union and tried to dissuade him from the riot. However, he did not get an affirmative response. After some minor clashes between two parties, a cease-fire was declared until the end of the month of Muharram in 37 AH and both parties began to send envoys to each other. However, the efforts of these envoys did not contribute to reach a peace agreement between two groups.
On the first day of the month of Safar, war started one more time. Commanders from both sides fought against each other in the first seven days. Afterwards, Ali ordered his army to carry out mass attack. The war continued for a few more days with all its might. Feeling deeply sorry for Ammar b. Yasir’s martyrdom, Ali organized a strong attack and the Damascene army was on the verge of dispersion. However, the war was just about to end, Amr b. As said to Syrian soldiers “Whoever has the Qur’an with him should stick it to his spear and raise it”. The soldiers who carried out this order shouted to the other side saying: “Let the book of Allah be an arbitrator among us”. It was a trick of Amr b. As and turned out to be successful because the Iraqi soldiers began to say: “Let us accept the call for the book of God”. By means of this trick, Amr b. As not only saved the Damascene army from a certain defeat but also demoralized the power of the opposing party. Although Ali tried to explain to his soldiers as the Caliph and the commander of the army that it is a trick of war, he could not succeed. Ali said to them: “This is a trick. They want to divide you and break your unity by this trick”. However, the Iraqis insisted on their demand and sent an envoy to the commander Asthar who was continuing to fight and asked him to cease the war. Consequently, Ali was also forced to send a man to Asthar to order him to cease the war. But Ashtar responded to the man who was sent to him saying: “This is not the moment to leave the emplacement. I believe we’ll win a certain victory soon. Be patient for a little bit more.” Before the man whp was sent as an envoy came back to Ali, Ashtar’s soldiers were shaken up, raised their voices and kept fighting with enthusiasm. Upon that, the Iraqis said to Ali: “By Allah, we believe that you sent him to Ashtar not to cease the war, rather to continue it.” So, upon Ali’s second strict order, Ashtar had to stop fighting. In order to learn what Muawiyah thought, Ali sent Ash’as b. Qays to Muawiyah. Muawiyah said him: “What we demand is to appoint the book of Allah as an arbitrator between us. And then let both parties select an arbitrator and assure that they will make a decision according to the Book of Allah and comply with their decision.” The supporters of Ali accepted this with pleasure. The People of Damascus chose Amr b. As who was a smart and a tricky man as their arbitrator. The Iraqis wanted to appoint Abu Musa al-Ash’ari as their arbitrator. The Iraqis insisted on Abu Musa’s arbitration even though Ali explained that Abu Musa had opposed him before and tried to divide between him and the public, therefore his arbitration could not be relied on. This event led to the division of the Muslim world. The supporters of Ali were called Shiites, those who supported Muawiyah were called Umayyads, and those who supported neither of the parties were called Kharijites.
The Emergence of Kharijites and the Battle of Nahrawan War
Kharijites is accepted to be the first separatist movement in the history of Islam. Those who were part of this movement had been the members of Ali’s army before. However, in the battle of Siffin they began to leave him before the decision of the arbitrator even though they were the ones who led the Caliph to accept the decision of an arbitrator. The reason for this was the fear that Ali and Muawiyah might unite and finish with them (as the murderers of Uthman).
Some of the reasons for the emergence of kharijites as an anarchist faction are as such
- The Mentality of Tribalism: Khawarij (Kharijites) that are accepted as the first Muslim anarchists consisted of tribes that attach importance to relationship (lineage and nobility). The tribes of Bakr, Mudar and Tamim constituted the core of this faction.
- Those who memorized the whole Qur’an (qurra) were in favor of arbitrators in Siffin war, which meant that they also were in favor of the supporters of Kharijite movement without knowing their hidden intentions: However, once this group who were tightly attached to the Qur’an and who aimed to teach it as their motto realized the real intentions of the Khawarij, they broke their ties with them.
- The effect of Sabaiyya: The supporters of Abdullah b. Saba who were the first to plant the seeds of the separatist thoughts that led to rebellion and anarchy, continued to spread the ideas suggesting to oppose the legitimate order later on.
- The social, political and economic conditions of that day formed a single faction. Gathering in Harura and later in Nahrawan, this group chose Abdullah b. Wahb al-Rasibi from Kufa as their caliph.
It did not take much for the separatist movement to form an army and riot. They did not hesitate to fit what they did into some religious covers. Even though they were the ones who made Ali accept to go for an arbitrator by force at the beginning, they blamed him with some irrelevant accusations and demagogies such as “The provision only belongs to Allah. Yet, by means of choosing an arbitrator, you replaced people in place of Allah and become an infidel.”
At first, Ali wanted to come to an agreement with the separatists in peace. He sent Abdullah b. Abbas as an envoy for this purpose. Long discussions took place between Abdullah and the Khawarij. After his statements, some of them came to Kufa and began to support Ali.
While getting ready to advance on the governor of Damascus, Ali decided to finish with the Kharijites first. In 658, he defeated them in the battle in Nahrawan and eliminated most of the rebels (19 Safar 38/17 July 658). Even if those who escaped gathered in Nuhayla and tried to uprise again, Ali did not give them a chance and eliminated them all. However, the relatives and supporters of those who were killed continuously looked for revenge and continued to cause internal disturbance.
The Martyrdom of Ali (661)
After the Battle of Nahrawan, Ali wanted to head out to Damascus. However, due to lack of equipment and exhaustion of the army, he postponed this expedition and returned to Kufa.
When Ali became caliph, internal disorders were going on. Thus, he could not get a chance to make reforms about both the state administration and the conquests of Islam. He worked with all his strength to ensure the peaceful atmosphere among Muslims and while he was providing inner peace, he resolved many religious issues, as well.
The caliphate of Ali was accepted by all Muslims except Kharijites. However, ambition for revenge started between those who could escape from the Battle of Nahrawan and their supporters.
Kharijites who carried out their activities in secret began to make assassination plans. They decided to kill first Ali, and then Muawiyah and Amr Ibn As.
The assassination plans were carried out in three different places but almost at the same time. While Amr was not shot, Muawiyah survived with a slight wound. However, While Ali was performing his prayer in the mosque of Kufa, he was severely wounded by a Kharijite called Abdurrahman ibn Muljam with a poisoned dagger.
Two days after the incident, the fourth caliph of Islam passed away in January 20th, 661. His grave is in the Najaf, a city in Iraq. Thus, “The Era of Four Caliphs” came to an end.
Ali’s Personality
From his early age, he grew up and had the honor to live under the Prophet’s care. He accompanied the Prophet in his most distressful moments. He had a special place among Muslims in terms of high morals and humanitarian characteristics of such as knowledge, piousness, sincerity, generosity, kindness, compassion and bravery.
Among Muslims, Ali is the symbol of heroism and courage. He is famous for defeating his opponents in one-on-one fights which were fought before the battles in order to heat up the battle.
Ali was strictly adhered to the Qur’an and Sunnah and he always advised Muslims to depend on these two sources. He was so delicate that he shed tears and prayed for his opponents to be guided to the straight path at the end of the unfortunate battles in the history of Islam such as Camel, Siffin and Nahrawan. At the same time, he was also a pious man who did not use political tricks which could be abused for personal benefits.
One of the characteristics of Ali that comes to mind first is his knowledge. He was one of the companions who knew the Qur’an and the Sunnah best. He said: “Ask me the Book of Allah! By Allah, there is not a single verse whether revealed at night or in the daytime that I don’t know.”
His knowledge in the field of Islamic jurisprudence was a fact which was accepted by all companions. The Prophet sent him to Yemen to serve as a judge and taught him how to do that. His knowledge in law and success in his judgments was expressed by Umar as “Ali was the most accurate in terms of giving judgment among us.”
Ali was a man who did what he said. He placed emphasis on one’s educating himself and said in this regard: “The person who leads the public (imam) should first educate himself before educating his subjects and giving advice to them. He will manifest his personality through his deeds and behaviors before he expresses it by his words. The person who educates and trains himself is more valuable than the one who gives advices to the public and speaks them about good manners.”
Because Ali discussed with Kharijites and Qadariyya about the issues of theology, he was considered as the first theologian among the Companions and also was one of the prominent people who established the science of Islamic theology. He was one of the companions who memorized the whole Qur’an in the lifetime of the Prophet and was very knowledgeable about its provisions. He recited the Qur’an very well and there were some Successors (tabiun) who learnt how to recite the Qur’an from him. He narrated 586 hadiths from the Prophet. And it is known that he had a hadith page that he wrote during the lifetime of the Prophet and constantly carried it within the sheath of his sword.
Ali was a fair administrator who attached great importance to human rights. He stated in the mandate he wrote to Malik al-Ashtar that everyone whether Muslim and non-Muslim should be treated in the same way, because Muslims were his religious fellows and non-Muslims were humans just like him. About non-Muslims, he wrote the following letter to the governor Abdullah b. Abbas: “They may be infidels and pagans. However, they don’t deserve a ruthless treatment, to be excluded or to be insulted for they are under our administration and first and foremost they are human beings.”
Ali is known with his beautiful speech and excellent oratory. Sources report us his sermons, letters and words of wisdom.