Let’s Get to Know Hazrat Ali

Hz. Ali… A figure who has left an incredible impact on religious thought, literature and art for centuries. A name that has been the focal point of endless discussions for centuries. At the same time, he is the cousin of the Messenger of Allah, his son-in-law, the father of his grandchildren, and his household. Although dozens of anecdotes, stories and epics written about him cast a shadow over his real life and personality, we need to learn about his historical figure today, perhaps more than ever. That is why we wanted to get to know this great name who left his mark on Islamic History, our companion. Here, we tried to tell you about Ali b. Abi Talib as a historical figure. We wish you a pleasant reading…

1. Birth-Descent

Hazrat Ali was born in Mecca in 599-600 AD, nine or ten years before the bi’set. His father was Abu Talib, the uncle of Hazrat Muhammad and one of the most respected figures of Mecca, and his mother was Fatima bint Asad, the daughter of Abu Talib’s uncle. When he was born, his mother gave him the name Haydar and his father gave him the name Ali. It is also narrated that the name Haydar was a nickname given to him by his mother when he was a child.

2. A Child Growing Up Under the Protection of the Prophet

A year after the arbitration at the Kaaba in Mecca, a severe drought broke out. In order to lighten the burden of his uncle Abu Talib, who had a large family, Hz. Ali took Ali under his protection. Thus, Hz. Ali grew up under the care of the master of the worlds and spent his childhood at his side. It is not known exactly at what age Hz. Ali, who entered the care of the Hz. Prophet at the age of five or six, left the Messenger of Allah. The widespread belief is that he remained under the protection of the Hz. Prophet until the Migration, however, it is also stated that this period lasted until his marriage to Hz. Fatima. Ali b. Abi Talib, who spent his childhood with the Hz. Prophet, was also one of the first addressees of the Messenger of Allah’s invitation to Islam. Although there are different figures in the narrations about how old he was when he became a Muslim, the dominant opinion is that he was ten or eleven years old. Although it is certain that Hz. Ali was the first of the children to become a Muslim, Hz. It is debatable who was the first person to believe in the Prophet. Since there are different narrations in our sources regarding the conversion of Hz. Ali and Abu Bakr to Islam, this issue has been debated between the Ahl al-Sunnah and the Shia. Shia sources claim that Hz. Ali was the first person to accept the invitation of the Messenger of Allah. Although it is not clear whether Hz. Ali was the first Muslim, it is certain that Hz. Ali was the first child to become Muslim.

3. A Brave Man Who Sacrificed His Life for the Messenger of Allah

Mekka

Hz. Ali’s love and affection for the Prophet (pbuh) was so great that he could give up his life for him without a second thought. When the oppression and cruelty of the polytheists increased and Islam became unliveable in Mecca, the Muslims began to migrate to Medina in accordance with the order of the Hz. Prophet. However, the polytheists were worried about the Muslims gaining strength in Medina and tried to hold them back. For this reason, they decided to kill Hz. Muhammad with the aim of completely eradicating Islam. A group of polytheists from various tribes would surround the Hz. Prophet’s house and kill Hz. Muhammad when he left his house. However, when the Hz. Prophet (pbuh) learned of their plan, he decided to put Hz. Ali in his bed in order to surprise the polytheists. When he made this offer to Hz. Ali, Ali (ra) accepted this offer without any hesitation and fearlessly for the sake of the master of the worlds and carried out his order. Indeed, Hz. This brave act of Ali clearly showed that he loved the Messenger of Allah so much that he would sacrifice his life. Because the polytheists who came to kill the Prophet could have killed Ali as well. However, Ali(ra) was ready to sacrifice his life for the sake of his most beloved without even thinking for a moment.

After delivering the trusts left to him by the Messenger of Allah in Mecca to their owners, Hz. Ali set out for Medina. Hz. Ali, who reached the Prophet in the village of Quba, stayed in the house where the Messenger of Allah was staying for a few days and then reached Medina. Along with the migration to Medina, the Messenger of Allah also carried out some actions, one of which was the brotherhood agreement between the Ansar and the Muhajir. According to the narration, the Prophet made everyone a brother to someone, only Hz. Ali remained and came into the presence of the Messenger of Allah with tears in his eyes, whereupon the Prophet honored him by declaring him his brother.

4. His Marriage with Hazrat Fatima

Being the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, Hz. Ali, who spent his childhood under the protection of the Messenger of Allah, also had the honor of being the son-in-law of the Sultan of the worlds. After the migration to Medina, Ali b. Abi Talib asked for the hand of the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter Fatima.

According to narrations, when Ali (ra) came to the Prophet (pbuh) to ask for the hand of Hz. Fatima, he was very excited, could not say a word, but understood the intention of the Messenger of Allah and when he was asked if he came for Fatima, he said yes. Although the Prophet had previously asked for his daughter Fatima from some of the leading companions such as Hz . Abu Bakr and Hz. Omar, he did not give a positive answer, but accepted Hz. Ali’s proposal. At this point, some narrations state that this marriage was based on a divine will, which is probably related to the Shia’s desire to sanctify the marriage of Hz. Ali and Fatima and the Sunni’s love for the Ahl al-Bayt. There are different narrations regarding the date of the marriage of Hz. Ali and Hz. Fatima. In addition to narrations stating that it was two or five months after the Hijra, there are also expressions stating that it was in the second or third year of the Hijra. What is certain is that the marriage took place after the migration to Medina. Hz. Ali (ra) did not marry anyone else while Hz. Fatima was alive, and after Fatima (ra) passed away, he married several times. Hz. Fatima had sons named Hasan, Hüseyin, Muhassin and two daughters named Zeynep and Ummu Gulsum.

5. A Heroic Mujahid

In the second year of the Hijra, when Muslims were given permission to fight, Hz. Ali began to display his legendary heroism and courage in the battlefields. He participated in all of the battles of the Prophet, except for Tabuk, including Badr, Uhud, and the Trench, and was a commander in several expeditions. His heroism in battles had such an impact on people’s minds that it became the subject of legends and passed from mouth to mouth for centuries. Of course, there are some unrealistic narratives in legends and anecdotes, but the truth is that Hz. Ali was a mujahid who fought valiantly for the sake of his religion, Islam. Hz. Ali displayed great heroism in the siege of Khaybar against the Jews, used an iron door as a shield, fought valiantly, and ensured the completion of the conquest of Khaybar. The verses he uttered during the conquest of Khaybar clearly show that he was a heroic warrior.

My mother named me Haydar (lion) when I was born.
I measure you very precisely with my sword.
I am the lion of lions whose attack is fierce.

6. Administrative Duties

Hazrat Ali held various positions during the time of the Messenger of Allah. One of these was when the Prophet sent him to the Yemen region. At first, Ali ibn Abi Talib hesitated to accept this position due to his youth, but the Messenger of Allah, recognizing his talent in judicial matters, encouraged him. Because the Prophet gave importance to merit when assigning a task. Hazrat Ali dealt with legal matters in Yemen and fulfilled his duty properly. Apart from this, after the conquest of Mecca, Hazrat Ali was also given the task of destroying the idols of the Evs, Hazrec, Tay tribes and the idols in the Kaaba. Ali ibn Abi Talib, who knew how to read and write, also served as the Messenger of Allah’s revelation scribe. At the same time, the Messenger of Allah usually had Hazrat Ali write the texts of the covenants and agreements. Hazrat Ali also wrote the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.

7. Nicknames

The nickname of Hz. Ali was Ebu’l Hasan , in reference to his eldest son Hasan . Apart from this, the nickname of Abu Turab (Father of the Soil) was given to him by the Hz. Prophet. Various narrations are mentioned about the Messenger of Allah giving him this nickname. One of these is that the Hz. Prophet, who saw Ali and Ammar sleeping during a battle, went to them to warn them and saw Hz. Ali covered in soil and thereupon called out to him, ” Get up, Ya Abu Turab! (Father of the Soil) “. In addition to Abu Turab , el-Murtaza and Esedullahi’l-Ghalib are also nicknames attributed to Hz. Ali. Murtaza means the person with whom Allah is pleased, and it was probably given to him after the Hz. Prophet said during the siege of Khaybar, ” Tomorrow I will give the standard to someone whom Allah loves and who loves Allah. ” Esedullahi’l- Galib was attributed to him because of his courage and bravery in wars. Also, since Hz. Ali did not worship idols even as a child, he was later remembered with the prayer ” Karramallahu vecheh ” (May Allah honor his face).

8. Personality

Calligraphy of the naat prayer written in the form of a lion attributed to Hz. Ali

Hz. Ali was of short stature, dark brown skin, large black eyes, and a beautiful face. His teeth were visible when he smiled. His most prominent feature was his warrior character and courage. So much so that he considered naming his sons Hasan, Hüseyin and Muhassin Harb, but his father-in-law Hz. Prophet did not allow it. We can also say that Ali ibn Abi Talib had a personality that never compromised in terms of implementing the truth. Indeed, during the caliphate of Hz. Osman, no one wanted to carry out the flogging punishment given to Walid ibn Ukba, but Hz. Ali did what was required by the law without hesitation. However, Hz. Ali had an extremely emotional, sometimes impulsive, sensitive, and touchy character. Because during the Tabuk Expedition, Hz. Prophet left Ali (ra) as his deputy in Medina, and hypocrites who knew Hz. Ali’s emotional side started rumors that Hz. Prophet did not take Ali with him because of the difficulty of the war. When these rumors reached the ears of Hz. Ali, he immediately went to the Hz. Prophet and informed him of what was said about him. He returned to Medina after the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) reassured him. Again, in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, when the polytheists asked him to delete the phrase “Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah” from the text, Ali (ra) said that he would not delete this phrase, whereupon the Hz. Prophet himself deleted the phrase. As can be seen from the examples, Ali (ra) was an extremely brave, courageous, fearless warrior, but he also had a sensitive and fragile structure.

9. Coming to the Caliphate

The Prophet did not mention any names for the administration of the Muslims after him or make a will. For this reason, the first problem that the Muslims faced after the death of the Messenger of Allah was the question of who would take over. While Hz. Ali and a few of his relatives were busy washing the body upon the will of the Messenger of Allah, a group consisting of the Ansar and the Muhajirs appointed Hz. Abu Bakr as caliph under the shade of Banu Saida. When Hz. Ali learned that Hz. Abu Bakr had been declared caliph, he was resentful because he had not been consulted and delayed his allegiance for a while. Although there are different narrations in the sources on this point, the dominant opinion is that he pledged allegiance about six months after the death of Hz. Fatima. In addition to Hz. Ali’s resentment at being excluded from the issue of the caliphate, the sons of Hashim also expected Hz. Ali to be chosen caliph due to his closeness to the Prophet. In fact, Hz. Ali was more upset with the way he was chosen as caliph than with the person who was chosen. Hz. Ali did not undertake any political duties during the reigns of Hz. Abu Bakr or the other two caliphs, but rather occupied himself with religious studies in Medina. After the martyrdom of Hz. Osman, the third caliph of Islam, by the rebels, the Muslims became anxious to re-elect a caliph. During this time, the rebels offered Hz. Ali the caliphate, and although Hz. Ali initially refused, he was forced to accept it as a result of the pressure from the rebels. With Hz. Ali’s accession to the caliphate, the first problem that awaited him was the murderers of the former caliph Hz. Osman. Caliph Ali was asked to find and punish the murderers of Hz. Osman, but instead of a specific name who killed Hz. Osman (ra), there was a group of rebels who said, “ We all killed Osman .” On the other hand, Hz. Ali’s caliphate was only accepted in Medina.

Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, who was the governor of Damascus since the time of Hz. Omar , did not pay allegiance to Hz. Ali, citing the murderers of Osman. On the other side, Hz. Aisha, who was against Hz. Ali, and Talha ibn Ubaydullah and Zubayr ibn Awwam, who later joined her side, were there. Despite all kinds of negotiations being held with the group led by Hz. Aisha, Talha and Zubayr, the opposition group led by Hz. Aisha confronted Hz. Ali’s caliphate army at the Huraybah location near Basra, and the incident known in history as the Battle of the Camel occurred. As a result of the Battle of the Camel, Hz. Ali’s side was victorious, Hz. Aisha and her companions were forced to retreat. After eliminating his opponents in Basra, Caliph Ali turned to Muawiyah in Damascus and called him to pay allegiance to him again. However, since Muawiyah did not accept the allegiance, a battle position was taken with Muawiyah’s army in Siffin.

When the army of Hz. Ali was about to complete the war with victory, Muawiyah decided to resort to the arbitration of the Quran upon the proposal of Amr ibn al-As. The army of Damascus placed mushafs of the Qurans on the tips of their spears and offered Hz. Ali the opportunity to arbitrate the Quran between them. Although Caliph Ali evaluated the situation as a game played by the people of Damascus, he had to accept the offer of arbitration upon the insistence of the soldiers in his army. This situation led to the emergence of a new opposition group within Hz. Ali’s army, which would later be called the Kharijites. Because the Kharijites opposed the act of arbitration by putting forward the verse “Lâ Hükme illa Lillah” (Judgment belongs only to Allah) and left the side of Hz. Ali, who accepted arbitration. At the meeting, where Abu Musa al-Ash’ari was appointed as the referee by Hz. Ali and Amr ibn al-As was appointed as the referee by Muawiyah, Amr ibn When al-As declared Muawiyah as caliph, the issue of the caliphate came to a dead end, and a dual power emerged: those who had sworn allegiance to Ali on one side, and those who saw Muawiyah as caliph on the other. After the arbitration incident, although Ali wanted to fight Muawiyah, he was unable to take action due to the unwilling attitude of the Iraqis.

10. Death

Following the Arbitration Incident, the Kharijites separated from the caliphate army and headed towards the region of Harura and gathered there. The Kharijites, who set out with the slogan “Judgement belongs only to Allah,” thought that Hz. Ali was on the wrong path. In the face of this attitude, Hz. Ali repeatedly called them to pay allegiance to him and tried to explain the situation. However, the Kharijites persistently did not back down. Upon the Kharijites’ terrorist activities, a confrontation with the Kharijites in Nahrawan resulted in the deaths of many Kharijites and the formation of great hatred towards Hz. Ali among the Kharijites. As a result, the Kharijites devised an assassination plan against Hz. Ali, Muawiyah and Amr ibn al-As, who they thought were the reason for the ummah’s situation. Accordingly, they decided that Abdurrahman ibn Muljam would kill Hz. Ali. When Ali went out to the garden of the mosque to invite people to the morning prayer, Ibn Muljam wounded the fourth Caliph of Islam, Ali ibn Abi Talib, with a poisoned dagger and died two days later, on 19 or 21 Ramadan 40 (26 or 28 January 661), as a result of the effects of the wound he received.

Hz. Ali was buried secretly by his sons at night because he was afraid of the Kharijites and Muawiyah, and his burial place was kept secret from people. Due to the fear that Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan and the Kharijites would harm him, his grave remained unknown until the Abbasid period. During the Abbasid period, it was determined that the grave was in its current location in Najaf, and the first tomb was built during the caliph Ja’far ibn Mansur or Harunrashid. Various additions were made to the tomb throughout history, and over time it became known as Mashhad-i Ali and became an important place of pilgrimage in the Islamic world. Today, there are two dominant ideas regarding the burial place of Hz. Ali, one from Iraq and the other from Iran. According to Iraqi tradition, Hz. Ali’s grave is in Najaf, which is within the borders of today’s Iraq, and according to Iranian tradition, it is in Mazar-i Sharif, which is within the borders of Afghanistan.

Source

1. Kaplan, S., 2007. Hazrat Ali with His Political, Social and Military Position During the Time of the Prophet.
2. Konya: Selcuk University, Institute of Social Sciences, Master’s Thesis, 2007.
3. Şenyayla, G., 2017. Hazrat Ali in Terms of His Life and His Place in the Early Islamic Society. Konya:
4. Necmettin Erbakan University, Institute of Social Sciences, PhD Thesis.
5. Figlali, ER Ali. TDV Islamic Encyclopedia. https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/ali#1 Access Date: 24.05.2023